Phantom
by X.Kuchisake-Onna.X
Summary: Bethany Court was friends with Hank McCoy as a child. At fifteen, they lost contact with each other. Nine years later, Sean and Hank are sent to talk to her, and convince her to join Xavier's. HankOC
1. Leaving

**A/N: finally got around to re-doing this! The old one was terrible. And short. Really _really _short. I decided I wanted to re-do it almost as soon as I finished the original.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men comics, the movie or it's characters. I do however own Bethany, the young mutants in the story and the story's plot.**

* * *

Bethany arrived home to a nasty sight. She entered the living room to see her long term boyfriend, John Green, sprawled out on the sofa with a half drunk beer bottle in his hand. Several more littered the floor, some with some liquid still in them, dribbling onto the floor and leaving small puddles of alcohol.

Before she could speak, John raised his head and glared up at her fiercely, half sitting up and spilling beer on the sofa. He barely even seemed to notice as he slammed the bottle harshly down on the side table. "And where have you been?" he snapped.

Bethany frowned, tucking a strand of curly black hair behind her ear. "I told you. I went to see Maria." she replied with a small sigh. She had hoped he would have been asleep before she got back, but no such luck.

"Oh, really? And you expect me to believe you? You've been gone all day, until half ten, and you think I believe that you've just been _seeing a friend?"_He got to his feet, stumbling slightly as he did, until he was right in front of Bethany, leaning down so his face was almost touching hers. "Who is he?"

Bethany wrinkled her nose. The smell of alcohol was overpowering, making her feel nauseous. "What do you mean?"

"Who've you been seeing behind my back?" he hissed. For being so drunk, his voice was unexpectedly strong. He barely slurred at all.

"No one! I told you I'd be home late, and I am _not_seeing anyone! Why would you even think that?"

John leaned back, so he wasn't quite so close to her. "Because why else would you be gone all day, and come back late? Unless you've been fucking someone else and don't want me to know."

Bethany shook her head, curls bouncing. "Don't be ridiculous. I don't know why you would assume I've been cheating just because I got back later than I planned. The roads were busy was all, and it takes half an hour from here to Maria's anyway." she defended herself. She shouldn't even _have_to justify her actions in the first place. John was being ridiculous and paranoid, as usual.

"_Don't lie to me_" John growled, slapping Bethany hard across the face. The woman stumbled backwards, white eyes brimming with tears. Her cheek stung, and had turned a bright, angry red.

She brought a hand to her face and touched her cheek lightly, stunned into silence. John was verbally abusive: he would shout, insult and swear to his heart's content, but he had never hit her before.

"You got off easy Beth. Count yourself lucky I didn't punch you." John picked up the beer and took a swig, before tossing it back onto the table. It toppled over, spilling the sticky liquid over the wooden table top. "Tell you what. I'll let you off, if you stop seeing him right now. You ain't going anywhere. You're gonna stay right here, in this house, unless I say so."

Bethany stared at him incredulously. "What? You can't tell me what to do! Do you honestly think I'll allow you to control me like this?" all this because she had stayed out later than usual?

"You think you've got any choice in the matter? This is your own fault, you fucking bitch. You think I like having to do this to you? No. But it's the only was I can make sure you don't do something stupid. Now for God's sake, tell me who he is!"

Bethany opened her mouth, intending on telling John to calm down, but all that came out was a small sob.

"_Tell me"_he raised his hand again, as if to slap her, but he just held it in the air; a silent threat.

"There is no guy! Jesus John why don't you believe me!?" hot tears spilled from her eyes and ran down her cheeks. She made no attempt to wipe them away, she just stared at her boyfriend with a mix of horror and fear.

John's hand came down hard on her cheek - the same one as before. Bethany braced herself for the impact, but she still stumbled, nearly tripping over one of the discarded bottles.

"Now get the fuck out of my sight. I can't be bothered with you right now." John glared and gestured to the door. "Go on. Go upstairs or something, I don't care. And tidy up all these bottles when I'm done."

Bethany spun on her heels and stormed from the living room, fighting back the sob that rose in her throat. She would not cry in front of him. She refused to show how much he had hurt her. She headed down the hallway to her and John's bedroom, flinging the door open. Grabbing a huge duffel bag from underneath the bed, she stuffed clothes and underwear inside, not really paying attention to what she threw in. She then grabbed a suitcase from the cupboard and stuffed it with her remaining clothes, toothbrush, hairbrush and anything else she might need, including money and the keys to John's car.

Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she picked up the suitcase and heaved it into the corridor. She had almost got to the car when she saw movement, and looked up to see John at the front door.

"Where are you going?" he demanded, lurching down the steps to where Bethany stood, throwing the suitcase and duffel into the boot of the car.

"I don't know, but anywhere is better than here." she stated, slamming the boot and making her way to the driver's side. John followed her, grasping her painfully by the shoulder.

"I don't think so. You're staying here, with me."

Bethany jerked away from John, her white eyes staring into his dark brown ones. "I'm not just going to sit back and let you treat me like shit; act as if I don't care, or as if I deserve it." she opened the door and got inside, starting the engine.

"You _do _deserve it. I don't know why I put up with you sometimes."

Bethany laughed humourlessly. "_You_don't know why you put up with _me_?" she got back out of the car, meeting his glare with one of her own. "You're the one who just slapped me - twice. You're the one who's been treating me like I'm nothing for what, a year?" She wiped angrily at her eyes, which were beginning to water again.

John took a step back, looking frightened. It wasn't until then that she realized she was eye level with him, despite being ten inches shorter than his bulky, 5'11 frame. Looking down, she noticed that her feet were not settled on the ground, as they should be.

After all these years of not using her powers, in fear of frightening someone, or making people hate her, and she still used them subconsciously as soon as her emotions ran wild.

"W-what the fuck? Are you one of them muties? The one's on the news?" John's eyes widened, before narrowing into a scowl. "I always knew there was something not right about you. It's your eyes; they always were freaky."

Bethany lowered herself to the ground. She felt as if her heart had been ripped from her chest. Of course John would never have accepted that she was a mutant, which was why she had hid it for so many years. This was the last straw for her. She was leaving, now.

She slammed the door shut as she got in the car. This time, John made no attempt to stop her. Now that he knew what she was, he didn't want her around. She was a freak of nature.


	2. New Beginnings, Old Friends

Bethany rubbed her eyes sleepily, slouching lower in her seat. She had parked in a motel car park, but had no intentions of going inside. It was a pretty dreadful looking place; the white paint on the outside walls were yellowed with age and the windows thick with grime. It didn't look inviting in the slightest.

The only options were either to find a better looking motel (which would most likely be too costly) or sleep in her car. She would try to figure things out in the morning, but she was too tired and distraught to even try to make sense of anything.

The waterworks had long stopped, but her eyes were still puffy and her cheeks stained with tears. A quick glance in the mirror told her that her left cheek, where she had been slapped, was still red too, though much less so. It would probably bruise.

Crawling into the back seat, she curled up into a lying position, trying to get at least comfortable enough to get to sleep. It was harder than she would have expected. The old car had very little cushioning on the seats, and it was cramped. At least she had managed to find an old patchwork blanket in the boot, so she wouldn't be too cold.

Closing her eyes, she pulled the blanket closer around herself to get as much warmth as possible. Although she was so stressed, upset and quite frankly, furious with John, she was exhausted. It only took her about ten minutes before she had fallen into a light doze.

* * *

White eyes blinked open as Bethany pushed herself into a sitting position. Wild curls fell in her face and she tucked her hair behind her ears. She groaned as she remembered the day before.

John was such an asshole! How could she have stayed with him for so long? Sure, things were great at first, but he had shown his true colours more than once before, and it always ended the same; he would get drunk, yell, call her names, and she would take refuge somewhere else, upset and distressed.

She was so stupid for ever thinking she could make things work with him. She should have ended it ages ago, not waited until he went too far and she _had _to leave.

Leaning over the back seat, she fumbled around until she got a hold of the suitcase. With difficulty, she managed to heave it onto the seat beside her. She opened it and took out a hairbrush. Dragging it through her thick tangles, she managed to somewhat tame her black locks. They were more curly and less of a mane of frizz anyway. She couldn't do much about her teeth, since she had nowhere to spit the toothpaste, so she settled with brushing without it. It wasn't ideal, but would have to do.

Now to try and figure out where to go.

Her friend, Maria, would welcome her happily. She had been the one who was always saying to leave John and stay with her. But her home was small and she didn't want to be such a nuisance. Her parents had moved to Wales a year previously, so going there was out of the question.

That left her with the option of her overly enthusiastic, exceptionally girly, ridiculously immature older sister. Bethany wasn't sure if she could bare being in the same house as her for an extended period of time. She had lived with her all of their childhood, and that was enough. It wasn't that she didn't love her sister, but she could get a bit overbearing sometimes.

She sighed heavily and stared out of the window. She was no closer to figuring out what to do. All she had was a car, clothes, and forty dollars.

She noticed a blond man, maybe a year or so younger than herself, crossed the road. He was the only person other than herself around. She watched him with disinterest, until she realized he was walking in her direction. He had the stride of someone who knew where he was going, and wanted to get there fast. He walked quickly in her direction, until he was standing right beside her car.

Confused, Bethany opened the door and got out. "Can I help you?" she asked. She really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, especially a stranger.

"Bethany Court, right?" the man asked.

"Um, yeah that's me. How do you know my name?" she questioned, brow furrowing into a deep, puzzled frown.

"I'm Alex. I'm part of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, you might have heard of it. We're a new school, only been open a year."

Bethany recognized the name. She was sure she had heard it on the news or something once or twice. "Yeah. It's a school for really intelligent kids or something." she replied with a small shrug. "But what has this got to do with me?"

Alex chuckled lightly. "Well, we use that as a guise. Really we're a school for mutants; people like you." He seemed to take amusement in Bethany's confused expression. "Charles Xavier; the man responsible for the school, has ways of detecting mutants when they use their powers. He could tell you needed help. If you come with me, we can give you somewhere to stay, with other mutants."

Bethany blew out a breath and crossed her arms. Well, that was news she hadn't been expecting. "So, you're saying that I can come to this school, and stay?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah. Of course, there's more to it than that. You'll need to do something; teach, cook, look after the young kids or whatever. It's a good offer."

Biting her lip, Bethany thought about it. It _did _sound like a good offer. She would have somewhere to stay, and would be with other mutants; people who understood her and were probably in similar situations.

"Alright, sure. I really hope this isn't a hoax though." the guy seemed sincere, but this was a lot of information to process, so naturally she was a bit doubtful.

Alex shook his head, seeming amused. "No, it's not." he moved to the car boot and grabbed her suitcase and her duffel. Bethany was adamant she would carry it, but Alex insisted. He told her the car he had arrived in was pretty close anyway. When she asked him why she hadn't seen him arrive in a car, he told her it was because he and the person he was with decided it would be less intimidating if he came on his own.

Alex began to walk, and Bethany walked beside him, matching his pace, though he was walking quite fast. He was a good deal taller than her. She was only just over five foot, so she rarely met people who _weren't _taller than her. He had a toned build, with distinct muscles underneath his long sleeved blue top.

Bethany pulled the hem of her own mint green blouse. She was still in the clothes from the previous day; a bell sleeved blouse with tight, pale jeans that flared out at the knee, and wedged beige ankle boots. She felt a little bit silly, she was all dressed up from coming back from her friend's, but her clothes were wrinkled and messy from being slept in. Not to mention her cheek throbbed painfully, indicating there was probably a bruise. Thankfully though, if Alex had noticed, he hadn't said anything.

They rounded a corner and Alex lead the woman over to a large, dark grey car which looked quite expensive. "What about my car?" she questioned. She hadn't mentioned it earlier, but it suddenly occurred to her that if they weren't going in hers, then it would just be left in the hotel car park.

"Charles mentioned that it wasn't technically your car. Someone will return it to the owner later today or tomorrow." he replied with a smirk.

"Oh" was all Bethany said in reply. She watched as Alex opened the car boot and tossed in her suitcase and bag. He opened the door, gesturing for her to go inside. "I'll introduce you to the guy with me in a minute."

"Which guy?" She remembered he had mentioned being with someone, but had said little about this other person.

" The guy inside is called Hank."

"I used to know someone called Hank, too." the woman commented.

"I know" Alex replied cryptically, smirking slightly.

Bethany raised an eyebrow but said no more as she climbed into the car. Alex closed the door behind her and got into the driver's side. Bethany realized someone was sitting on the seat and glanced over.

The person she saw was, well, surprising, to say the least. She suddenly understood why he hadn't accompanied Alex when he went to talk to her. He had a stocky, muscular build and although it was hard to tell since he was sitting, he seemed unusually tall too. That wasn't the strangest thing about him, however. Every inch of visible skin was covered in thick blue fur, even his face. The only way to tell the difference between hair and fur was because his hair was slightly longer, and a few shades darker. Narrow gold eyes seemed to almost glow in the dimness of the car, strikingly bright against the cerulean blue fur. He also had animal-like features, not unlike that of a cat.

"Bethany Court" Alex turned around in his seat to look at the two in the back. "Meet Hank McCoy."


	3. Meeting

"Hank McCoy?" Bethany questioned. The Hank she had met at school in sixth grade had that surname too. Now that she was over her initial shock and had a proper look at him, she could see small similarities between the man sitting beside her and the boy she knew all those years ago. His eyes were a vastly different colour; not the clear, light blue she remembered, but they were the same shape; the way the top lid curved ever so slightly more than the bottom, making them wider at the top. The way he held himself was very similar to her Hank; forward in his seat a little, hands clasped loosely on his knee and his ankles crossed. Was it possible he was the same person as her childhood friend?

"Hello Bethany." he gave a small, nervous looking smile and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

As soon as he spoke, Bethany knew it was him. His voice was deeper (of course it was, the last time she had spoken to him was when they were fifteen), but she definitely recognized it, even after nearly a decade. If there was one thing she never forgot, it was a person's voice.

"Hi" Bethany smiled in return. She felt overwhelmed and was having a hard time completely believing that this was Hank, but the more she looked at him, the bigger a resemblance he had to the kid she remembered from school, despite obvious changes. She wondered what had happened to him for him to have changed so drastically, but she knew that this was not the right time to ask. "It's been ages, I've missed you, you know." Ages was an understatement.

Hank waited for the look of fear or disgust on her face. He had become used to it over time; it was the standard reaction when most people saw him for the first time. Most people he met were horrified by him at first, or at least slightly intimidated. But Bethany showed none of that. She looked confused, yes, but not afraid or disgusted. Instead, she looked delighted, staring at him with wide, unique white eyes.

"I've missed you as well." Hank replied, his smile widening. Bethany's eyes fixed on his mouth, and he quickly realized she must be staring at his teeth. Just because she seemed to be taking all of this in her stride did not mean she wasn't shocked by his new appearance, and she was probably more than slightly surprised to know that he now had long, incredibly sharp pointed teeth.

Bethany knew she was staring, but she was unable to take her eyes off the fangs. Out of all the things that were different about Hank, it was the teeth and nails (or more like claws) that shocked her the most. They looked dangerous, and it made Bethany a little hesitant to give him the hug she had wanted to give since realizing who he was.

No, Hank wasn't going to hurt her. He may have changed almost to the point of being unrecognizable physically, but she was sure he hadn't changed a bit in personality. She was certain he would still be the kind, shy geek she remembered, even if his outer appearance no longer reflected that.

She leant forward in her seat slightly and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck in a semi-hug. It was difficult to hug him properly as the inside of the car didn't allow a whole lot of movement.

After a moment's hesitation, Hank returned the hug. He did so carefully, not wanting to hurt her. He may have come to terms with the increased strength that the second mutation gave him, and have near perfect control of it, but that didn't mean he wasn't worried. Bethany was so tiny and fragile looking - barely over five foot with a small, almost childlike frame. He imagined it would be quite easy to accidentally hurt her.

A cough came from the front of the car, and Alex turned around. "Sorry to interrupt, but I think Charles would appreciate it if we got back before next week."

The two broke apart, smiling sheepishly.

"Of course, sorry." Hank replied, sounding embarrassed.

Bethany had flushed a slight red in the cheeks. She had completely forgotten Alex had been there. He had been there throughout their entire little reunion, not saying a word. That must have been awkward for him, though he didn't show it.

Alex just smirked and sat back in his seat. "It won't take long to get to the school Bethany, only about fifteen minutes." he told her.

Bethany had just plugged in her seat belt when Alex began to drive. He drove fast, and Bethany had the sneaking suspicion he was over the speed limit.

She settled into her seat and crossed her arms, resting her head against the back of her seat. Glancing out the window, she once again reminded of the fact that she looked rather dishevelled. The faint reflection the window provided showed that despite her efforts, her hair was still a tangled mess and she had faint panda eyes from not removing her makeup the day before. Although she could have looked must worse, she certainly didn't look great. She then remembered that she should have a hair tie in her back pocket. She pulled it out and used it to tie back her short curls, which looked slightly better. The only thing she could do about the panda eyes was rub a finger underneath her eyes and hope to remove the worst of the mascara blotches.

Turning back to face the front, she noticed Hank looking at her from the corner of her eyes. She faced him, and he hurriedly glanced away, though she had definitely seen him staring. She supposed she couldn't blame him; they hadn't seen each other in about eight or nine years. She did feel like she should be the one staring, however, considering he looked so much different. It was weird to think of him as being the same person, and was going to take a bit of getting used to, but actually it was quite easy to accept that Hank was now blue, furry and pretty much different in every way, looks wise anyway.

But how had it happened? She desperately wanted to ask, but didn't want to risk bringing up a touchy subject, especially since they had only just met each other again. Maybe she would ask later, when they felt more comfortable around each other.

Bethany was about to speak, when Alex beat her to it. "Here we are."

The woman looked out the window, and her breath caught in her throat. They were driving up a long, wide pebbled driveway, with acres of lush green grass on either side. Flowers of every colour and size were dotted around the lawn, arranged in a way that looked both random and somehow organized at the same time. There was a large pond to the left, which had several picnic benches and seats near it. The area was massive, stretching far behind the huge Victorian style house they were making their way to.

The house was another marvel. It appeared to be at least three storeys, with huge windows, some of which looked like they were made of stained glass. It was at least ten times the size of her childhood home, which was pretty large itself. A few small steps lead up to massive double doors, with the same decorations as some of the stained glass windows.

"Wow" was all Bethany seemed able to say. When Alex had said 'school' she had imagined what most schools look like; small brick building, maybe with a few outbuildings, and a small stretch of lawn. She definitely hadn't expected a _mansion._

Alex chuckled slightly at her awed reaction. "Welcome to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters."


	4. Conversations

Hank got out of the car first, going around to Bethany's side to open the door for her while Alex went to retrieve her bags. He held his hand out for her to take, smiling in an almost shy fashion.

Bethany placed her hand inside his, noticing how tiny hers looked in comparison. Sure, she was small, but next to him, she looked like a child.

Stepping out of the car, Bethany took her time taking in her surroundings. The house really was beautiful - and humongous. She couldn't imagine herself living in a place like that. She had grown up in a relatively large five bedroomed house with her parents and older sister, but nothing even remotely close to the gorgeous mansion in front of her. She imagined it would be quite easy to get lost, and with her terrible sense of direction that was probably going to spell disaster.

At the sound of the car boot slamming, Bethany's head spun in the direction of Alex. He gave her a brief smile before walking ahead.

"Charles will probably want to speak to you before anything else happens; he's been looking forward to meeting you. You also haven't met Sean yet."

It was clear that was all the information Bethany was going to get, so she didn't bother asking questions. Hopefully everything would become clear soon enough. She walked alongside Hank, and although he was politely keeping his distance, she could sense the tension in his body. She wondered why; as far as she was aware, there was no reason for him to be. She did feel a little awkward and stiff herself, though she felt she had every reason to be, considering everything that had happened in less than twenty four hours.

She ran a hand through her fringe. It felt greasy, and Bethany was reminded that she hadn't showered in a while. She must look a state. No wonder Hank had been staring at her in the car; she probably looked like a homeless woman, or at least like she didn't take particular care of herself. This thought made her self-conscious, a feeling which was only intensified when she remembered she was supposed to be meeting two new people.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed Hank was looking at her again. She turned to face him, intending to question him, but before she could, he spoke.

"What happened to your cheek?" he blurted, seemingly without meaning to. Immediately after, he apologised, embarrassed. He shouldn't have been asking her things like that; it was none of his business, and he knew it. He would have been lying if he had said he wasn't worried though. A few mutants from abusive backgrounds had come to them since the school opened, and more than one had had similar bruising.

"Oh, it's nothing." Bethany waved it off as if it was no big deal. Truthfully, she just didn't think she was quite ready to talk about it yet. Especially with someone she barely even knew. At least, she barely knew him anymore.

Hank said nothing, apparently letting the subject drop. He knew there was more to it, but now was not a good time to interrogate her.

As they approached the house, Bethany barely had time to appreciate the intricate blue and green patterns of the stained glass in the door before Hank pushed it open. They looked heavy, and, sure enough, when she pushed the door a little wider herself, it proved to be more difficult than Hank made it look.

She watched silently as Alex set down the suitcase and duffel bag, before knocking on a large oak door directly to their right. After a few seconds he entered, leaving Bethany and Hank alone.

An awkward silence settled over the two, neither one apparently wanting to speak first. Hank stared at his feet, purposefully avoiding eye contact with Bethany. They hadn't seen each other since they were teens; things weren't going to just magically go back to how they had been. H wished they could, but he was not so naive that he truly believed it was possible. Especially not now, thanks to his second mutation. At least she didn't seem repelled by his appearance. If she was, she hid it well.

Bethany used his apparent obliviousness to her advantage; using her time to take in every detail of his appearance. She hadn't really noticed, but underneath the coarse blue fur he had a lot of muscle. He probably worked out. A lot. Either that or it was his mutation. Either way, it explained why he was so strong. Oddly enough, that was the thing that struck her most. The blue fur and the golden eyes were all very different, yes, but it was the fact that his build had totally changed that Bethany found strangest. Or maybe it was that everything else was so much to take in, that his change in body shape was the only thing she had managed to digest yet. When they were teens, Hank had been a tall, lanky kid. Barely any muscle, long, gangly limbs. She wondered if this bulk up had happened before or after this weird second mutation.

"So, how did you _really _bruise your cheek?"

Bethany blinked, surprised by the sudden attempt at conversation.

"I, um, I'd really rather not talk about it." she said with a small, embarrassed shrug.

This was all the confirmation Hank needed to decide that someone had done it to her, purposefully. "It's alright, I understand. Sorry, I didn't mean to ask something personal."

Bethany shook her head. "No, it's fine." she said in reply. Her mother had always said it was better to talk about your troubles, but that didn't mean she was going to do so. Not now. But Hank wasn't to know she didn't want to discuss it; he was just trying to find out what was wrong. Or so she presumed.

"Alright." Alex closed the door to the room he had just vacated, and walked over to the two. "Charles says we've to show you your room, let you change and whatever, and then he wants to speak to you. Is that okay?" Although he was trying to be patient, it was quite clear he wanted to go. Bethany figured he probably had better things to do than show around the new girl.

"I'll show her around." Hank offered. "What room?"

"The one across from mine." Alex replied with a small smile which seemed to say 'thanks.'

"Got it." Hank turned to Bethany. "Well, do you wish to see your new bedroom?"


	5. Settling In

Hank picked up Bethany's bags, gesturing up the wide, elegant staircase. "Bedrooms are on the second floor. The adults' rooms are in the west east wing, kids in the west wing." He smiled slightly as the two began to walk upstairs, though he didn't look her in the eyes. Bethany had to walk quite briskly to keep up, even though Hank was walking at a leisurely pace. He slowed down for her, and Bethany gave a grateful smile.

The silence that followed was awkward. Bethany desperately wanted to speak to Hank; to catch up on what she had missed over the nine years of separation and get to know him again, but she wasn't sure how to start the conversation. Hank was confusing her, too. One minute he seemed interested in her, only emphasized by the fact she had caught him staring, but a moment later he would refuse to look at her directly, and would come across all shy. It was really odd.

Hank came to a sudden stop in front of a door. It was at the opposite end of the hall to the stairs, two doors away from the end. It looked identical to every other door in the mansion. He pushed the door open with his shoulder, gesturing for Bethany to go inside first.

Hesitantly, Bethany stepped inside and looked around. The walls were a light cream colour, with a blue and brown border at the top. The colour of the soft carpet was almost identical to the walls. The room was L shaped, with a Queen sized bed covered with a white duvet, two pine cabinet style bedside tables and a vanity table come chest of drawers against the longer side. There was a white sofa and a coffee table pushed up against the wall, and a large desk. There was also a second door, presumably leading to a bathroom.

"This is _huge!_" she gasped. It was probably the size of the entire downstairs of her old house.

Hank set down the suitcase and bag on the bed, before turning to face Bethany. Once again, he didn't quite meet her eyes, which the woman found both strange and mildly off-putting, though she tried not to show it.

"I'll let you get settled in. My door's three down, let me know when you're ready to speak to Charles."

Bethany nodded. She liked the sound of getting some time alone: it would give her the chance to try and get used to everything, to really think things through. Not only that, but she seriously needed a shower. She felt awful.

As soon as Hank left, Bethany dug through her suitcase until she found suitable clean clothes: a navy dress with a wide patterned u-neck and the only other pair of shoes she took with her: dark blue open toe heels.

She was pleased to note that the bathroom was large and pristine clean. The white and blue tiles of the wall almost sparkled, as did the tiled floor. The bath was large with a built in shower, and there was a diamond shaped mirror above the sink. Three bottles sat by taps: shampoo, conditioner and body wash.

In her eagerness to get clean, she dumped her clothes on the floor safely away from the bath so they wouldn't get sprayed with water, and grabbed the bottles. Turning on the shower, she waited until the water was the right temperature was the right temperature before stripping her clothes off.

Bethany stepped into the bath, glad for the steaming hot water on her skin. She stood for a few minutes, letting the water wash over her. It was calming, and it was almost as if the water was washing away her worry as well as the dirt and grime. She could have happily stayed like that for much longer, but she reminded herself that she still had to speak with Charles.

She picked up the bottle of body wash, noting it was a well-known brand, scented raspberry. Not her first choice, but who was she to be picky, given the situation? At least she_ had_ something to clean herself with.

As she lathered up the soap, her thoughts drifted to her new home. It was so completely different to what she was used to, so much grander, more impressive. She couldn't imagine ever fitting in there. She wondered what it was like living there, in what was essentially a much prettier version of a boarding school. Well, she supposed she would find out soon enough.

Banishing all negative thoughts from her mind, Bethany washed her hair with a large amount of shampoo (also raspberry scented, she noticed) and conditioned it. There was no point in getting worried because things might not work out. These people had been kind enough to let her into their home, presumably knowing little about her other than the fact she was a mutant, so she was going to make an effort. And that effort started with making herself look presentable for speaking to this Charles. The last thing she wanted was for him (or anyone else) to think she was unhygienic and didn't take care of herself.

Once she was finished showering, she towel dried both her body and hair, before putting on the dress. She had no tights, so her legs had to remain bare. She then pulled on the shoes, which she was pleased to note was almost an identical shade of navy blue to her dress. It was the only thing they actually went with, so she was lucky she had brought the dress with her. She searched the cabinets for a hair dryer, and found one in the top drawer of the vanity table. She only gave her hair a quick dry, as she didn't want to keep anyone waiting. Finally, she pulled her hair into a high ponytail and added a cream scarf to her attire, letting it hang loosely around her neck.

All that in only fifteen minutes. She was impressed with herself.

She closed the door softly behind her and looked down the hall. Hank said he was three doors down. Or was it four? Well, she would just have to knock on a door and hope it was the correct one. Hopefully if it was the wrong door, it wouldn't be too embarrassing for her or whoever opened it.

Stopping in front of what she assumed was Hank's door, she knocked softly. She wasn't even sure if he had heard it at first, but after a moment the door opened. He gave her a brief smile and closed the door.

"You weren't busy doing anything, were you? I wasn't interrupting you or anything?" he _had _said to come whenever she was ready, but he might have been doing something important.

"Of course not. Are you ready to see Charles?"

Suddenly she felt nervous. It wasn't like her to be worried about talking to strangers: usually she was very sociable and jumped at the chance to meet someone new, but this wasn't exactly normal circumstances, and she didn't know what to expect. She didn't even really know what he wanted to talk to her about, other than the fact that she was wanted to stay. Trying to appear calm and collected, she nodded.

"Sure, let's go."


	6. Charles Xavier

Since the way to Charles' office was the way they came, Bethany vagualy knew where to go, but she was pretty sure she would end up lost as soon as she tried to get there herself. It wasn't a particularly difficult route, but the mansion was huge.

The two paused in front of the door and Hank knocked politely. Barely a second passed before there was a reply.

'_Come in_.'

The voice startled Bethany, and she jumped. There was no one around, save for Hank, who had not spoken a word, but she could have sworn someone spoke right there. It sounded like it had been spoken in her head, but how was that possible?

Oh, right. He was a telepath. Bethany felt silly for forgetting that rather important fact.

Opening the door, Hank gestured for her to go through first. Stepping through, Bethany was immediately drawn to the handsome young man sitting behind a huge desk. His dark hair was wavy, swept back with a few strands falling just above bright blue eyes. He was smiling kindly, and looked genuinely pleased to see her.

"Hello Bethany. Please, take a seat." he gestured toward the two comfortable looking chairs opposite the desk.

Bethany settled into the seat to her left, crossing her legs elegantly and folding her arms. She tried to look as relaxed as possible, though she was quite sure it was probably obvious how anxious she was. She twisted in her seat to look at Hank, expecting him to come sit beside her, but he had moved back to the door.

"I'll let you two talk in peace. Let me know if you need anything." With a brief glance in Bethany's direction, he closed the door softly behind him.

Brushing dark hair out of her eyes and clasped her hands on her lap. She was a little disappointed that Hank had left - she was under the impression that he would have stayed, but she supposed Charles would have preferred to speak to her alone. Looking at the man across from her, she smiled slightly, and her nerves lessened somewhat. He seemed like a really nice guy: he was smiling genuinely, and when he spoke he sounded calm and kind.

"I assume Hank and Alex told you why you are here?" Charles questioned, though from the way he spoke he seemed to already know the answer. _Actually_, Bethany thought, _he probably does._

"Yes." Bethany replied. "I was told you could find mutants when they used their powers, and since I needed help or something, so Alex and Hank came to ask me to join the school?" she gave a tiny shrug. They hadn't really explained much, so she was basically in the dark about everything.

Charles nodded. "Yes. We are a school for mutants, but we go under the alias as a school for gifted children. Of course, no one can know what we really are. The world isn't ready to know about the existence of our kind yet." he didn't add the fact that he didn't think humans would be ready to know about their existence for a long time. "We try to help mutants as much as possible: child, teen or adult. Especially those in... _unfortunate_ positions." He smiled sympathetically. "No one is forcing you to stay, but I would ask you to seriously consider it. I shall give you a few days to decide: let you settle in, see how things work, and if you don't like it, you can leave whenever you please."

Bethany sighed lightly. She didn't really have an alternative, did she? She had no money to buy a new place, and she had had been looking for a job for months, but to no avail. If she did leave, she would become homeless, and that would make getting a job almost impossible. Besides, Charles was being extremely generous, offering a home for her, and she was extremely grateful. Turning down an offer like his seemed ridiculous.

"I don't need time to think: I'd love to stay." She spoke firmly.

Charles smiled. He had not been intentionally listening in to her thoughts, but she had been projecting her feelings of gratitude quite clearly. He suppressed a chuckle. "You seem very decisive." he said matter of fact. "That's good, I'm glad you've decided to stay. There is one other thing that we need to discuss, if you have no questions?"

Bethany shook her head no. "Well, actually; what about my stuff? I don't think John would appreciate me going back to fetch my clothes and such."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of that. Someone will get your remaining things from your house tomorrow afternoon, after classes have ended." Charles reassured. "Now, about your new living conditions. This is a busy place, and I hope you are aware that you will have to pull your weight if you are going to live here." he smiled kindly. "Your choice of what to do, there are several options. The adults and some of the teens take turns to cook, but having a permanent cook would be a plus. Or you could look after the children, or teach, if you feel you are qualified. If you like gardening, you can help take care of the grounds." he suggested. Truthfully, there was lots of options he hadn't even mentioned, but he didn't want to overload her. "You don't have to choose now, but soon would be appreciated."

Bethany thought about it for a moment. She was a decent cook, but the thought of cooking for goodness knows hoe many people was not appealing. Her gardening skills were pretty much non-existent, and she had no clue _what _she could possibly teach. So that left looking after the children. She wondered how many there were.

"Currently, four would be under your care, should you choose to look after them."

Bethany jumped, not expecting him to answer her unspoken question.

Charles just chuckled lightly. "I apologise if I startled you, I did not mean to cause you any surprise."

Shrugging, the woman smiled back. She was a lot more relaxed now. Charles had a calming sort of aura about him. "It's fine. And yes, I think I would like to be in charge of looking after the young ones." She knew it would be a lot of hard work, but she had taken on the job of a child minder a few years ago, and she had loved it.

"Well, that's sorted then." Charles grinned.

There was a knock at the door, and Charles told the person to come in. A red-headed male who appeared to be around the same age as Bethany entered, smiling broadly.

"Ah, Sean." Charles seemed pleased with the arrival of the young man. "Bethany, this is someone I would like you to meet: Sean Cassidy. Sean, this is the woman I spoke about earlier: Bethany Court."


	7. Banshee

Sean grinned broadly and stuck his hand out for the young mutant woman to shake. "Nice to meet you" he said pleasantly.

"Bethany has already been acquainted with Alex and Hank. I was hoping you might show her around and introduce her to the kids?" There was a brief silence before Sean nodded. Bethany had the suspicion Charles had said something to him telepathically.

"Sure thing, Charles." He turned his attention to Bethany. "The mansion is pretty huge, but the structure is simple. It won't take long to learn your way around the place." He smiled. "I'll show you some of the important stuff."

Bethany got to her feet and turned briefly to Charles. "Thank you so much. I'm really grateful." And she was, extremely so. What Charles was doing was amazing. Not just for her, but all mutants he had taken in.

Charles smiled and nodded. He could sense just how grateful she was, and it made him glad that he had been able to help. "You're welcome Bethany. If you need anything, let me know."

Bethany nodded in response, but didn't get the opportunity to speak as she was towed out of the office by Sean. She had just enough time to give Charles a quick wave before Sean caught her attention.

"Hank told me a lot about you, you know that? As soon as he knew it was you we were going to get, he wouldn't shut up about you." Sean had an amused look on his face, and was repressing a chuckle.

"And what did he say about me?" Bethany questioned.

Sean grinned. "That you were best friends and met a football game or something, for one thing. And that he was worried what you might think of him now, for another." Although Sean seemed like a laid back kind of person, it was clear he was worried for Hank. "You don't think anything about his mutation do you? I know he's become mostly immune to what people think of him, he does still take it very personally. Especially if it's someone he knew before."

Bethany sighed. "No, it doesn't bother me in the slightest. It's just... going to take a lot of getting used to I guess." She shrugged.

"Well, since that's settled, onto some more light hearted stuff, huh?" Sean lost the serious composure he had only moments ago, and Bethany marvelled at his ability to be so easy going. "I'll show you the most important places; the kitchen, dining room, the most used living rooms, the wing where the classrooms are, and of course the nursery, for the youngest kids. You've already been shown your room, right?"

Bethany nodded, feeling a small smile creep onto her face. She was a lot more relaxed now: she could feel the tension in her shoulders leave and her posture was less rigid. "Yeah, I have." she responded.

"What do you think?"

Bethany paused for a moment, thinking about the best way to reply. "Well, it's huge, for starters. Nothing like what I'm used to. But it's lovely."

Sean made a sound of agreement. "Yeah, the rooms here are pretty amazing. You can style it however you like, if it's not your taste, it _is _your room now. If you need help re-decorating, I'll be glad to help."

Bethany shrugged. She didn't really feel the need for that. It seemed like too much hassle, and the room was perfect the way it was anyway. A bit too neutral, but that was nothing a coloured bed cover, a rug or two and her personal items couldn't fix. "Thanks, but I'm good." she replied.

They walked in companionable silence for a few minutes, Bethany trying to memorize the surprisingly simple design of the huge building as Sean led her in the direction of the kitchen. It was at the opposite side of the building to Charles' office. Bethany learned that the mansion had an easy layout: the main hall lead to two more halls: the east wing and the west wing. The east wing contained ten classrooms and three studies, and Charles' office was nearby at the entrance. The west wing had all of the rooms you would expect to find in a house: a huge kitchen, five living rooms, a dining room, a library, and a sun room with gigantic floor to ceiling windows. Right in the middle, opposite the main door, were the stairs, with a small elevator beside it. A thick cream carpet with an ornate wooden banister that matched the wooden floors exactly. They splint the two wings in half, and lead up to the bedrooms. Just like the first floor, it had two wings. The adults' on the right, children on the left. There was a smaller set of stairs at the end of the hall, leading to a third floor. Bethany hadn't been up there yet, but she had the suspicion it led to more, perhaps unused, rooms.

Sean opened a large oak door and gestured for Bethany to go in first. She did, pausing just inside the door. Looking around, she was almost at a loss for words as she took in the sight in front of her. The kitchen had to be at least five times the size of her own, with cabinets the length of two sides, and several gleaming white sinks. There was two double sized refrigerators, positioned beside each other, and overhead cabinets above every sink. On the outside wall were two large windows, and a glass double door that lead to a wide space of short, thick grass dotted with tall elms and holly trees. To the left was an archway which led to an equally large dining room that had to have at least thirty seats pulled up to one impossibly long dining table.

"Wow. I certainly don't envy whoever has to keep this clean." she said with a soft smile.

"We take turns, so it's not so bad." Sean replied. He went over to the cabinets closest to the three sinks. "Pots and pans are here, with the cutlery and glasses overhead, washing stuff beside it: cloths, towels, washing liquid and such." he then pointed to the overhead cabinets near the fridges. "Cereals and other breakfast foods there, as well as the tinned food, everything else should be in the fridge. The rest of the things are pretty easy to find." Sean gave her another of his dazzling grins, only emphasized by bright white teeth, and he led Bethany back into the hall. "There are five living rooms, but only two are really used, and the third acts as a game room. They're all along this side" the opposite side to the kitchen "and the nursery is at the end of this hall. Library is down that small corridor there and so is the sun room. I'll show you them after you meet the kids."

Sean walked up to the door at the end of the hall, which was half opened. The voices of two or three young children could be heard giggling softly and chattering quietly. He nudged open the door fully and stepped in alongside Bethany.

She was met by two children: a young boy maybe ten or eleven, with a mop of blond hair falling over sparkling blue eyes. He grinned brightly when he saw the two adults standing in the doorway, eager to meet the new woman Charles' had told him would be arriving today.

The second child was a girl, younger than the boy. She had dark hair with a tint of green to it, which fell to her shoulders. Her glowing yellow eyes gave her a reptilian appearance, only heightened by her green scaled skin and pointy teeth. Although it was hard to tell from where she stood, but Bethany was sure she could see a long tail swishing behind her.

"This is Marceline and James. The other kids; Lauren and Michael, are probably playing outside."

Bethany bent down to James' height and smiled. Curious, Marceline also came over, stopping beside the older boy and watching Bethany with bright, interested eyes. "Hey you two, I'm Bethany. I'm going to be looking after you for a while."


	8. Injured

**A/N: this is the last chapter I had saved, so from now on its writing it as I go along. I should be updating maybe once or twice a week, but with exams coming up soon I may be a bit unpredictable.**

* * *

The sun shone brightly down on Xavier's school, and with it came a warmth that signalled summer had finally started. It had to be at least thirty-something degrees, eighty-something in Fahrenheit. The sky was completely cloudless, and was a clear blue that almost looked unreal it was so perfect. It had been like this for a good three days now - the absurd heat started four days after Bethany arrived at the school. Although it had been great at first, Bethany was starting to tire of it now. If you were outside, you were almost certainly going to get a sunburn, especially in her case, due to her extremely pale skin. If you were inside, it was stifling, and the heat seemed even worse, if that were possible. Despite this, everyone seemed glad, and almost the entire school was outside, enjoying the weather.

Bethany sat cross legged, her small hands absentmindedly playing with the grass at her feet. Her light blue sandals sat next to her, so she was barefoot. A half used bottle of sun cream lay discarded a few feet away. She had to keep applying it regularly, to avoid tanning, or, as was more likely, becoming tomato red. It was for the kids too - she had made sure none of the children in her care were going to get burnt either.

Sean sat across from her, lying lazily on his stomach, knees bent so his legs swung in the air. Both sat in companionable silence, a silence that did not feel awkward or out of place in the slightest. He rolled over onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow. "So, how're you liking the place so far?" he asked with a smile.

Bethany thought about it for a moment, before replying. "It was a lot to get used to, but I love it. Besides the fact that _someone's _been avoiding me since my first day." she sighed and shrugged. She had hoped that once she had settled down she would have been able to spend some time with Hank: find out what he did, talk to him, get to know him again. Unfortunately, she hadn't had the chance. After he left Charles' office when Sean arrived, she had barely seen him. Alex had told her it was nothing personal, that he just spent a lot of time in his lab, but to her it felt like more. She found it hard to believe even he was in a lab almost twenty-four-seven.

Sean made a noise that sounded half way between a grunt and a snort. "Yeah, well I dunno. I would be like Alex and say that it was just him, but we both know that's not true." He smiled sheepishly when Bethany gave him a questioning glance. "What? I'm just being honest. I think he just feels weird because he knew you before, and he doesn't know you much any more. Or know what you think about him. Maybe you should talk to him."

"And how do I do that?" Bethany asked, her voice coming out as more demanding and haughty than she intended.

"Corner him? Or you could just go to the lab. He's probably there right now. What he does in there, especially in this weather, I'll never know." he smirked and shook his head. "Anyway, he can't avoid you forever, you live and work in the same place. It's virtually impossible for you to never cross paths."

Bethany agreed. "I suppose. I just feel like I've done something wrong, something that means he doesn't want to talk to me." Making a small shrug with one shoulder, she bit her lip.

"It's no big deal, and certainly not your fault."

Bethany stayed silent. That was two people that had told her it wasn't her, albeit by two very different means. She brushed dark hair from her eyes and closed them for a moment. The back of her eyelids were orange-pink from the sun she could see through them, even with the large sunglasses she wore.

a few metres away, a child started to cry, and Bethany's eyes snapped open, searching for the origin of the cries. She saw James by the lake, sprawled out in the grass, with Marceline kneeling beside him.

Bethany launched herself to her feet, barely looking back to see Sean's reaction as she raced over to the two kids. She knelt down beside Marceline, who was looking panicked.

"What do I do?" the girl asked, her usually narrow gold eyes wide with shock.

"Nothing sweetie, you don't have to worry." Bethany reassured, before turning her attention to James. "What happened James?" she asked as she propped the boy up, taking him into her arms. She was careful to avoid touching his blood as it was very acidic: part of his mutation.

The blood oozed primarily from a large scratch on his left knee, and a dark bruise was forming underneath. It looked like it had been caught on stones.

The boy buried his face in the crook of her neck, though his sobs had subsided significantly. "I fell." was all he said, muttering it so quietly Bethany almost didn't hear.

"Alright kiddo, I'll take you to get cleaned up. We'll get a big plaster for your knee, huh?" she forced a smile for James' sake, trying to comfort him as best she could. She scooped him up, one arm under his knees, one arm under his arms, and got to her feet. For an eleven year old, he was quite light.

Walking back to the mansion, she stroked his blond hair rhythmically, whispering comforting words. His blood had started dripping, and it stung her hand painfully, but her mind was completely focused on the young boy, not herself.

The lab and medical room were both in the basement, and Bethany took the stairs. She could hardly use the elevator herself, with both hands occupied. As soon as her feet hit the bottom step, she quickened her pace until she reached the medical lab. She shoved the door open with her shoulder, then elbowed it to open it wider.

The medical room was huge: about the size of three living rooms. It was joined to the lab by a large archway to the right. White tiled floors and the same tiling half way up the wall. The rest was painted a dark cream colour. Equipment trolleys were scattered everywhere with an array of medical objects lying on top, and four medical beds as well as an examining table sat off to one side.

Hank was nowhere to be seen.

Setting James down on the examining table, she gave him a small, reassuring hug. "Hank?" she called. When she got no answer, she called a little louder. It looked like she would have to leave James to find him in the lab, but she didn't want to leave the little boy. Turning back to him, she gave him a soft smile. "I'll be back in a minute, hon. I have to go find Hank, okay?"

She was just about to turn when she heard someone walk up behind her, followed by a sigh.

"It's alright, I'm here."


	9. Avoidance

"What happened?" was the first thing Hank asked. He was looking at James as he asked.

The boy let out a small whimper. Bethany instinctively wrapped a reassuring arm around him and squeezed gently. "I fell. There was a big stone on the ground and I fell on it." the young boy blinked, though he hadn't cried a single tear. He was obviously trying to look brave.

"Well, I'll clean the wound. It should probably get a dressing as well, we wouldn't want it getting infected now, would we?" Hank gave a reassuring smile, showing a hint of fang. Bethany found it hard not to stare. Two weeks. Two weeks she had been at Xavier's school, and she still found Hank's new appearance both fascinating and strange.

He must have caught her staring, because he turned to look at her briefly and crossed his arms, before looking away, pointedly avoiding eye contact. "You should leave. I believe you have other children to look after? James will be fine here with me." he sounded slightly agitated, as if her presence was a nuisance.

Hank had been acting strange the entire time she had been at the school. Initially, he had seemed perfectly okay, if a little awkward, and she could understand that. But he had soon started acting distant, and for the past week or so she had barely seen him. Never once though, had he ever been so blatantly _rude. _

"I'd prefer to stay with James, to make sure he's alright." she responded, keeping her voice friendly. She didn't want him to know that he had upset her.

"It really isn't necessary, I assure you. I will patch him up and he will be free to go in no time." Hank still wasn't looking at her. "You will however need to come back later for a physical examination."

James looked at Bethany, the look in his eyes telling her he wanted for her to stay. Bethany gave him an apologetic look and turned to Hank. "Fine, I'm going." she snapped. She surprised herself by how irked she sounded. She crossed her arms and gripped them with corresponding hands, before turning on her heel and marched out of the room.

Once she was in the hall, she stopped walking and leaned against the wall. It took her barely a minute to calm down again, and once she had her cheeks were burning with embarrassment. She felt like an idiot for snapping at him like that, but she honestly did not understand why he was treating her that way. What had she done that made him so cold towards her? She knew she should talk to him about it, but she didn't want to make it worse. And he had mentioned that she would have to go back to the lab, too. Great. She could tell it was going to be _extremely _awkward.

* * *

Bethany made her way to the lab, not looking forward to what was about to ensue. If Hank was going to act anything like how he had earlier, this was going to be painfully awkward and she did _not _want to talk to Hank if he was in that mood. It was necessary though: all newcomers to the school had to have a physical. The only reason it had taken her so long to have hers done was because Hank had been avoiding her. He still was.

She knocked lightly on the door before entering. The room was exactly the same as it had been before: sparkling white tiles, clean surfaces, every inch of surface covered in medical utensils and paperwork. It might have been clean, but it wasn't tidy.

Hank was sitting at the desk, a small pile of paper beside him. He was scribbling hastily on one sheet and it took him a minute or so to notice the petite woman standing near him.

"Ah, there you are." he sounded surprised to see her, as if he wasn't expecting her. "Here for your physical I take it?" he got off the office chair and walked over to one of the large metal cabinets, where he pulled out a small folder. Apparently he had a lot of information on her, going by the number of stapled sheets the folder contained. "I have some basic information on you: medical history, illnesses you have had in the past, dental records. There are some details I need to confirm and a few tests to take."

Bethany's eyes widened at the mention of 'tests'. She knew it was a physical, so tests were to be expected, but it sounded a lot more intimidating coming from him.

"Don't worry, nothing involving needles."

Bethany sighed in relief. If there was one thing she could say with certainly she hated, it was needles. Ever since she was a child she had been terrified of them. It was irrational, but she couldn't help it.

Hank motioned for Bethany to sit down on the examining table, and she did. She dangled her legs over the edge, grimacing at its cold surface.

"Okay, so in the past five years you've been hospitalized once, correct? For..." the man paused a moment as he read. "For a twisted ankle?"

Bethany nodded. "Yes. I tripped and my heel broke." It had been awful at the time, but looking back on it it was her own fault. Five inch heels were never a good idea.

"And as far as illnesses are concerned, you've never contracted anything serious?" She shook her head. "Okay, hold out your arm please, I am going to take your pulse." Hank was being so formal, but at least he was being less rude.

There was a moment of awkward silence as he took her pulse, before jotting it down on a small A5 notepad. "Sixty three, that's fine." he commented. "I need to take you're blood pressure too." he wrapped the blood pressure moniter around her upper right arm.

While he was doing the test, Bethany looked around the lab. Anything to avoid looking at him, really. It was too awkward. She was doing exactly what she criticised him for, she realized, but the only reason she was doing it was because _he _was in the first place. She felt a jolt of annoyance towards her former friend, but it faded quickly.

Hank wrote something else on the paper, before turning to Bethany. His eyes were slightly downcast, she noticed. "I need to take your height and weight, and then you're done."

Bethany slid off the table and moved over to the measuring equipment. She stared off to the side as Hank measured her height. "Five foot two." Hank commented. "You've barely grown since we were kids." he gave her a small smile before quickly returning to his formal composure. "Hop on the scales, please."

Yes, she was small, did he really have to point it out? She didn't really mind, but standing next to him she felt tiny. She took of her shoes and set them beside her before stepping onto the scales.

"Just under eight stone." Hank wrote the number down along with his other notes. "Very light, but considering your build its to be expected." he looked at her and nodded. "Okay, that's all I needed to know. Thank you for coming over."

Bethany nodded and moved off the scales. She put her sandals back on and straightened up. "Well, er, see you later I guess." she said awkwardly. What else was she supposed to say? "Bye"

"Bye" Hank answered. He was already assessing the notes and didn't even look up as she left.


	10. X-Men

Bethany had gone straight to the kids after her awkward encounter with Hank. She had discovered that they always succeeded in cheering her up, intentionally or not. There was just something uplifting about a group of children enjoying themselves, and it made her feel better within minutes. The kids loved her company, too, which probably helped her feel better. They were always excited to see her and barely considered her their 'carer.'

Even the older two, James and Michael, who were both eleven, seemed to want to stick with her, though they were old enough to do their own thing without supervision.

Within minutes of rejoining the children, Bethany had almost totally cast aside negative thoughts about her and Hank.

It wasn't until dinner time that the thoughts resurfaced. With everyone seated at one long table, she was bound to see Hank, and him her. She doubted he would actually say or do anything to catch attention, and she was sure she was just being paranoid, but it didn't make her worry any less. Sure, she had been eating dinner with him since she arrived, but today seemed different after the two med-bay incidents.

"Right kids, go wash your hands for dinner. I'll see you at the table." she turned and raised her eyebrows at James, who hadn't moved. "You too mister" she smiled kindly.

"I don't wanna wash my hands" he complained loudly, but got to his feet and followed after Marceline, who was just out of the door. He turned around just as he left and stuck it tongue out at Bethany, grinning as he did so.

Bethany smiled and laughed lightly, but said nothing. She gave the room a quick once over to make sure nothing had been left lying, before following after the children. She could see Marceline and Lauren going into one of the bathrooms to wash their hands, James and Michael hanging around outside the open door, most likely waiting for their turn. Michael gave her a little wave, and she waved back.

Two minutes later all four kids were ready, and Bethany ushered them into the dining room. It was a huge room, long and wide. The walls were a neutral cream colour, like most of the mansion, with a thick, light coloured carpet that had little circular table had at least thirty seats, most of which were filled and reached from almost one side of the room to the other. It was connected to the kitchen by a wide archway to the right of the door.

James and Michael headed over to the middle of the table, where two free seats sat beside each other. Marceline hesitated for a bit, before sitting beside a pretty red haired girl in her early teens. Lauren chose a seat between Alex and a girl Bethany did not know the name of. There were only two seats left, one at the far end where the adults sat, beside Sean, and one between two teens. Of course, she chose the former. It wasn't until she was farther down the table that it occurred to her Hank was across from that seat.

She sat down all the same. Sean greeted her with a warm smile and Alex gave her a smirk; the closest thing he seemed to get to a genuine smile. Charles, who sat at the head of the table, said hello, to which Bethany replied. Hank glanced at her momentarily, before giving her a curt nod, and continued his conversation with Alex.

"So how's your day been? I've barely seen you since this morning, after you disappeared with James." if Sean noticed Hank's brush off towards Bethany, he didn't show it.

Bethany gave a small shrug and picked up the bowl of salad, adding some to her plate. "Same as usual. James is just as much of a handful as he always it, and he's taken his injury very lightly." she looked over at the boy, who was showing off his bandage to two twelve year olds across from him.

"Yeah, James is pretty laid back." Sean commented with a smile. "Besides, he gets scrapes and bruises all the time. I don't think he even knows how to be careful" he chuckled slightly.

"Wouldn't surprise me." Bethany retorted with a alight eye roll.

"Hey Bethany, are you gonna join the X-Men?" at the sound of Lauren's voice, Bethany turned to look at her.

"What are the 'X-Men'?" she questioned curiously. She had never heard the term before.

Charles chuckled. "Well, it was bound to be brought up eventually." he said. "It's the name we gave our group. Hank, Alex, Sean and I. We're not exactly 'heroes' though some have called us that. Mostly we try to help mutants struggling with their powers, or stop mutants who have gotten out of hand. It quite often ends in fights, but we try to avoid that as much as possible."

Bethany didn't respond for a moment. "So, basically you're trying to keep mutant society under cover, and help those who need it?"

"Yeah" Alex replied. "If people found out about mutants, it'd probably be pretty bad. Imagine what they'd do to us."

Bethany didn't want to imagine. Thoughts of her being shunned from society, being hurt or killed because of her powers, it had all been the main cause of stress when her mutation first appeared. For nearly two months solid that was all she could think about. She had had poor control over her abilities at first, and was paranoid she would accidentally reveal them to someone and would cause havoc. Thankfully, that had never happened.

"Point taken. It's good though, what you do."

Charles smiled proudly. "We do what we can. Now, I was going to wait until you had fully settled until I asked you, but since Lauren brought it up I suppose I should just do it now: would you like to join the X-Men?" he leaned forward slightly to see Bethany better. "Of course it won't be easy, sometimes taking in new mutants is tough. We have to go to their homes and speak with the parents, and the children haven't always come from the best backgrounds. And of course if we go to stop a mutant who's powers have gone out of control, or they themselves are dangerous, you could get hurt. I need you to think about this before you decide."

Bethany sighed. It sounded good, but very hard, too, as Charles had stated. Could she really deal with seeing children in that sort of condition? Being taken away from their family. Even if they kept in touch and visited, it was a big change. And of course that was assuming the parents and children had a good relationship. A lot of the children already at Xavier's had been mistreated when their parents discovered they were mutants, some even abandoned.

She looked at Charles and bit her lip. "I don't know, I'll consider it though."

Charles nodded. "Take all the time you need. I'm not requesting an answer now."

The rest of dinner was uneventful. Bethany's mind kept drifting back to the X-Men. She found herself wanting to accept the offer, though she was still hesitant. She would mull it over later, when there was less distraction.

Once dinner was finished the kids left, as did most of the teens. It was Hank and Sean's turn to clear away, but Bethany offered to do it in Sean's place. It was the perfect time to speak to Hank, alone and without interruption.

Hank looked a little surprised when she said she would do it in Sean's place, but it was hard to tell what he thought. Once everyone had left, Bethany began to clear the table. There was a few minutes of awkward silence as Bethany thought about how to talk to him. She wanted to know why he had been avoiding her, and why he was rude earlier, but saying it right out seemed too blunt to her. After a while, she decided to just ask. Bluntness wasn't her usual tactic, but she saw no other way to go about it.

"Hank, why have you been avoiding me all week?" She turned around, intending on marching over to Hank and demanding answers, but instead she sounded more upset and whiny than authoritative. Not how she planned it. She bit her lip and clasped her hands together anxiously, awaiting a reply.

Hank seemed to hesitate a moment before looking at her. His eyes were downcast and he looked just as awkward as Bethany felt. "I haven't" was his reply, and he sounded like he genuinely meant it, though Bethany wasn't convinced.

"Right, so why are you avoiding eye contact with me? And why have I barely seen you since I got here, even though everyone else sees you plenty? And why were so so blatantly rude to me earlier?" she asked, and this time she sounded more assertive. Her voice rose slightly higher than usual, and there was a hint of distress in her voice too.

This made Hank look up, and he frowned in worry. "I'm sorry."


	11. Making Up

**A/N: I'm not entirely convinced I like how this turned out. It seems a bit disjointed or something I'm not sure. Anyway, chapter eleven! Hope you all like it and reviews are welcome. Thanks to _Patently Precious _for the two amazing reviews and great compliments!**

* * *

Bethany frowned, now feeling guilty for being so harsh. He sounded so genuinely ashamed and uncomfortable. She moved towards him and put a delicate hand on his shoulder. "You can tell me, you know. I'm not angry, just confused." she said softly, giving his shoulder a light squeeze before releasing it.

Hank said nothing for a moment, before he sighed heavily. He looked up, and for the first time actually made eye contact with the woman in front of him. "I just figured it would be better if I kept my distance from you. I'm not the person you remember, Bethany."

"Sure, but I'm not the same either. We're nine years older, of course we've changed." Bethany reassured. "And if you don't give us a chance, how are we going to get to know each other again?"

"I didn't think you would want to 'get to know me'. Look at me Bethany. Actually look. I'm nothing like the person you remember. How can you even stand to be near me?" his voice rose with each word until he was almost shouting. He hadn't even realized until Bethany flinched. "I'm sorry. I just..." he whispered, trailing off without finishing the sentence.

His words literally shocked Bethany into silence. So that was what it all came down to? He was afraid of what she thought of him. He was so insecure about his appearance that he honestly thought she was disgusted by him, so he had been avoiding her for what he thought was her own good.

"Don't be so ridiculous." Bethany surprised herself by how stern she sounded, but carried on. "You seriously think I care about this." she waved a hand at him. "Come on, surely you know me better than that, nine years apart or not. I wasn't put off by your first mutation, was I?"

Hank shook his head. "No, but it was far less obvious that this." he responded with a doubtful look. "I don't even look human anymore."

Bethany didn't know what to say. She was usually good in emotional situations, but she had never had this sort of conversation with anyone before. So she did the only thing she could think of: she wrapped her arms around him in a hug. She could only just get her arms to circle him, and she couldn't link her hands together, but it was still a hug, and she hoped it at least made him feel a bit better.

Hank awkwardly hugged back, wrapping one arm around her slender shoulders and the other around her waist. Bethany was the one to break the hug, and she stood back so she could look at Hank properly. "I really don't care, honestly. So just give me a chance, alright?" she smiled kindly.

Hank merely nodded in reply and smiled in return. "Thank you."

* * *

"Michael, you're supposed to catch the frizbee!" Lauren accused the young boy. She stood with her hands on her hips and when Michael shot her an annoyed look she stuck her tongue out at him.

Bethany laughed lightly and shook her head. Those two were forever making fun of each other. The blond boy picked up the frizbee and sent it sailing back at Lauren, who caught it with ease. "See? That's how it's done." she said triumphantly with a broad grin.

The girl then threw the frizbee to Bethany. It flew overhead, missing her outstretched hand by an inch, and landed a few metres away. Bethany went to fetch it, listening to Michael, Lauren and James bickering behind her. She stopped to redo her ponytail, which was coming undone from its lose ponytail. Thick curls fell across her forehead and a few wisps of hair stuck out at the nape of her neck. She reached up to pull the hair tie out and felt the first drops of rain hit her hands.

By the time she had fixed her hair and picked up the frizbee, the rain was a light drizzle. She looked up to see the others who were outside were now going in, and decided they should too. She went back over to the three children and ushered them ahead of her.

Marceline, who had been sitting under the shade of a large tree, got to her feet and sprinted over to Bethany. She was frowning and trying to cover her hair, which was damp with rain.

It got steadily heavier, and Bethany pushed the kids lightly ahead. Lauren was complaining loudly and stomping her feet while James and Michael laughed, running ahead to get inside. Marceline jogged to try and keep up, but fell behind. Eventually they all reached the double doors and stood in the foyer dripping wet.

"Why don't you all go get changed into dry clothes? I'll go and get us some warm blankets and I'll read to you?" Bethany suggested with a smile. The youngest kids' faces brightened and Lauren nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah!" she grinned and took Marceline by the hand, leading her upstairs. Michael followed, and James trudged behind, pulling at his shirt, which was clinging to his arms.

Bethany laughed lightly and rolled her eyes. She headed upstairs and went to her room. She set the frizbee down on her vanity table by the door. She towel dried her hair with a bath towel from her bathroom and dried her face, too. She then changed into a knee lenth red dress, keeping her sandals on. She left her hair loose, since it would dry faster that way.

Once she was done she took two blankets from the drawers next to her bookshelf and carried them downstairs, taking the frizbee with her.

In the living room closes to the kitchen, Marceline and Lauren were already huddled up on the sofa. They both looked up when Bethany entered. Lauren said hello and Marceline gave her a small wave.

"Hey you two. I got us some blankets. Did you choose a book?" she settled into the sofa between them.

Lauren held out a children's book for Bethany to see. It was Cinderella, one of her favourites as a child.

"Alright then, looks good." she threw the blankets over them and waited until the two got comfortable. Lauren snuggled down beside her and Marceline curled up with her head against the arm of the sofa.

She had been reading to them for about five minutes when Hank came in. She didn't notice until he was standing behind her. leaning his arms on the back of the sofa.

"Reading Cinderella, I see." his voice startled her slightly and she turned around. She smiled slightly when she saw him.

"Yeah, just started it. Care to join us?" she said jokingly. Somehow it didn't seem like his type of novel.

"If you insist." was his response. He motioned for Bethany to budge up and she did. Marceline crawled onto her knee to make more room on the large sofa and Hank settled in between Bethany and Lauren.

"I was kidding you know. I don't want to bore you with my awful reading voice." she smiled. Truthfully she was glad though, it showed he was finally beginning to trust her and was no longer avoiding her.

Lauren giggled slightly and gave the woman a knowing look. There was no hiding emotions from Lauren: she was am empath.

"Nonsense, I'm sure you're an excellent story-teller." Hank gave her a quick grin.

"Alright fine, but don't say I didn't warn you."


	12. Party

Just after an hour later, the two children had fallen asleep. Marceline was still curled up in the same position, her breath calm and even. Lauren was less graceful, sprawled out on the available space with her head on Hank's lap. It wasn't even that late; they must have been exhausted.

"Should we take them upstairs?" Bethany questioned. She didn't want to wake them up, but they needed their beds.

Hank nodded. "I think so." he gently removed the older girl from his lap and picked her up. She moved, but did not wake up.

Bethany picked up Marceline as best she could, trying not to jostle her. She slid an arm under her knees and another under her arms. She was tiny and very light. It was like carrying a baby.

Hank could carry Lauren with only one arm, supporting her under her legs with her head on his shoulder. He opened the door for Bethany, allowing her through first. She smiled in thanks as she passed him.

They carried the two youngsters to bed in silence, and split up down the hall to go to their respective rooms. Marceline's wasn't far from the stairs. Bethany elbowed open the door and moved over to the girl's bed. She maneuvered herself so that she was able to pull the sheets back while still carrying her, before gently placing her on the mattress. After pulling the covers over Marceline, Bethany left the room, closing the door softly behind her.

Just as she left, she saw Hank coming down the hall. He smiled as he approached her. "I have some things I have to take care of in the lab. I hope you din't mind me leaving you?"

Bethany shook her head. "Of course not. I know there's always things needing to be done." truthfully she was disappointed, but it wasn't as if she wouldn't see him again later.

Hank nodded. "You can stop by if you like, I'm always glad for the company."

As the two parted, Bethany decided to go back downstairs. She was dying for a cup of coffee. On the way downstairs she passed Sean, who stopped to talk to her.

"Hey, I was just looking for you. Just giving you a heads up that we're hosting a party in a couple of days. It's for the kids' parents to come along to. You know, so the families can see each other. It'll be good for the parents too: show the less, er, accepting of them that us mutants aren't all horrible creeps or anything."

Bethany raised a delicate eyebrow. "So you're telling me this now? A bit last minute, don't you think?"

"Yeah well." Sean looked sheepish. "Charles only got the details sorted today. And I sort of forgot to tell you until now."

Bethany smiled. Typical Sean. "Alright. So what kind of party is it?" she questioned. "I need to know what to expect."

"Semi-formal. Nothing too fancy, but enough to hopefully impress. Anyway I have to go. Talk later?"

"Sure." Bethany gave a small wave as Sean left, and he waved back.

Bethany wondered how many people would turn up. There were a lot of children at the school: a hundred or more. But a lot of those children lost contact with their family when they came there. She knew that a lot of those who did keep in contact had parents who were less than happy about their child's mutant abilities. If something happened, she wasn't sure what she would do. In any case, Charles had a habit of preparing for every possible outcome and everything he planned always went smoothly, so there was no doubt in her mind everything would be fine on the day. No point worrying about something that probably wouldn't even happen.

Bethany cast all thoughts of the party from her mind and went downstairs, into the kitchen. She hadn't had a cup of coffee all day and she needed one. She made herself a large mug (she was pretty sure it was one of Hank's - his because it was the only kind he could hold with his clawed hands) and added one sugar. She came into one of the living rooms sipping it happily and noticed Alex sprawled on the sofa.

"Hey Alex. Do you know anything about a party?" she asked, nudging his legs out of the way to make room on the sofa. She settled down next to him with her legs crossed.

"Yeah. Charles told me yesterday. I'm not crazy about the idea, but it couldn't do any harm." he shrugged and sat up. "It might even do some good. It might help people realize mutants are just people too, you know?"

Bethany agreed. "Well, I think it's a good idea. I do wish I had been told earlier though." it was leaving the preparation too late, and she had no clue what she was going to wear. Her wardrobe was mainly trousers and casual tops with the occasional summer dress. Not really suitable for something 'semi-formal'.

"So who's idea was this anyway?"

"Drake and Amanad came up with it. Really I just think they wanted an excuse to go wild and not get reprimanded." he smirked.

'Go wild' seemed like an exaggeration, but Bethany didn't comment. "Speaking of Amanda." Bethany smiled as she saw the blond girl enter.

"Hi" she grinned and nodded in the adults' direction. "I heard you talking about the party."

"Sean tells me it was your idea."

"Uh huh." Amanda beamed. "Drake and I. We thought it would be good to get the parents involved."

"What if some parentd don't come?" Bethany questioned. The kids whose parents didn't show would probably feel disappointed.

Amanda's smile brightened. "It's their choice I guess. Anyway, I'll make sure all the kids enjoy themselves, regardless. It's not fair that some feel neglected because their parents were too narrow minded to come."

Bethany had to admire her optimism. The teen seemed absolutely certain everyone would love it. If everyone had an attitude like her, they probably would.

"I don't have anything to wear." Alex joined the conversation for the first time. "And I have the feeling I won't get away wearing this." he gestured to his grey shirt and jeans.

"Don't worry. Drake and I have it sorted. Charles figured you wouldn't have anything." Amanda looked at Alex's clothing skeptically before shaking her head.

Bethan commented she didn't have anything either, and Amanda gave a knowing smile. She assured both adults everything was under control and that if they were too short for time, Bethany could wear one of her things.

"Sure, I guess. I don't really feel like shopping." They were about the same size, Bethany being quite petite. She knew little of Amanda's dress style, but honestly as long as it fit and didn't look awful she didn't mind all too much what she wore.

"You can come see now, if you like." Amanda suggested.

Bethany agreed. She said goodbye to Alex and let Amanda lead her to her room, where the teen retreated into the depths of a huge wardrobe for a minute. After a while she produced three dresses. The first was a strapless knee length that flared out at the hip with several under layers. It was black with a white bust and strip down the middle of the skirt. The second was much simpler. It was a bright pink with puffed sleeves and a long skirt which appeared about mid calf. The third she liked least, as the section above the chest was a transparent halterneck. The rest was a dark navy colour with a frilled bottom and sleeves.

"I like that black and white one." Bethany commented, gesturing to the short puffy dress.

"Yeah, it's lovely. I've never actually worn it either." Amanda picked it up and put it in Bethany's arms. "Go try it on. Bathroom's across the hall."

Bethany did so, locking the door behind her. It took a bit of effort to get into as the bustier was tight, but after a few minutes she managed. She gave herself a look over in the mirror. It suited her well. It showed off her slim legs without being too short, and she actually looked like she had breasts for once.

Amanda knocked on the bathroom door to ask if she had tried it on. Bethany responded yes and unlocked the door. Amanda stood in the hall, smiling brightly.

"You look great!" she exclaimed, grinning. "You look better in it than I would."

Bethany blushed slightly. She wasn't used to compliments like that. "Thanks, though I'm sure you would look lovely in it too." she replied.

"Keep it for now, you'll need it on Sunday anyway. I do want it back though."

Bethany laughed lightly. Of course she would. She wasn't going to keep someone else's dress, as pretty as it was. After a quick discussion about times for the party, Bethany retreated to her room. She hung the dress up on her bathroom door by the hanger. She changed into her pajamas, which were really just a pair of pajama bottoms and a vest, and crawled into bed. She picked up her book, To Kill a Mockingbird and opened it to the right page. She read for a while, but her mind kept drifting back to the party. She surprised herself by how excited she was. She wasn't the biggest socialiser, and it was a little intimidating, but even so it sounded good. She actually couldn't wait.


	13. Nightmare

**A/N: took me longer than I expected to write. I have exams this month so updates might be slow.**

* * *

Bethany blinked her eyes open and stared at the ceiling for a moment. Something had woken her up, but what? She soon realized there was soft crying coming from outside her room.

Throwing back the covers, Bethany swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. She flicked her bedside lamp on before going to the door and opening it quietly.

Standing in front of the door was Marceline. She was wearing only a blue cotton nightgown and her socks. Her green face was streaked with half dried tears and she was still crying quietly.

Bethany crouched down so she was eye height with Marceline. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, brushing a thumb underneath her eyes to wipe away the tears.

"Nightmare." the girl said simply. Unexpectedly, she hugged Bethany tightly, wrapping her small arms around her and burying her face in the woman's stomach.

"Shh, it's okay." Bethany soothed, stroking the girl's hair. She lifted Marceline up with ease and padded over to her bed, where she set her down. The two sat in silence for a minute, Bethany rocking backwards and forwards rythmically with Marcy on her knee. It worked surprisingly well and Marceline's crying soon stopped.

Bethany felt like she was being watched and glanced up to see Hank standing in her doorway. He was wearing a pair of bright green pajama trousers and no top. In any other situation she would have found that and his sleepy expression amusing.

"What's going on?" he questioned, and by his confused tone it was clear he wasn't fully awake.

"Marcy had a nightmare." she responded. At the sound of her name the girl sniffled and looked up. She crawled off of Bethany's knee but stayed close, tugging on the woman's hand until she Bethany held hers.

Hank nodded. He didn't seem surprised. "Well, I'm sure she'll be fine, you seem to be very good at comforting children." he told her, thinking of the time with James. "I should go, I don't want to bother either of you."

"Stay, please." Marceline's voice was quiet, but Hank heard the request. He complied, sitting down on the bed beside the girl. Marceline seemed to relax slightly and she smiled a tiny smile.

"I suppose staying may be a good idea; it isn't unusual for Marceline to have more than one nightmare in the same night."

Bethany gave him a questioning look.

"Marceline is one of the children that have been less fortunate in their upbringing." Hank whispered so the young girl wouldn't hear. "I assume it is the times before Xavier's that she dreams about."

Bethany understood. She didn't know the individual stories behind each child, nor had she ever been brave enough to ask. Knowing this was enough for Bethany, she didn't need to know the details.

A few minutes later and Marceline had drifted off into an uneasy sleep. She lay curled up on top of the sheets on her side, facing away from the two adults.

"She sure falls asleep fast." Bethany commented. She had got over her nightmare, which was good.

"I can take her back to her room, if you wish."

"Just let her sleep there, she's not doing ay harm." Bethany didn't have the heart to move her. "Besides, it's already after six. Everyone will be getting up soon anyway."

Hank nodded. "Yes, you're right. Well, I should go. I'll see you later on." Hank stood up and gave Bethany a smile. She smiled back and waved. "Bye."

Once Hank had left Bethany decided it would be best to get ready. She had less than an hour until she had to get up. She got her clothes out of her dresser as quietly as possible before retreating to the bathroom to get dressed. After putting on her t-shirt and jeans, she washed her face, brushed her teeth and ran a brush through her hair. After deciding it was too frizzy to be seen in public, she twisted it up into a bun, securing it with a purple pin. And to think, Hank had seen her looking such a mess!

When she went back through to the bedroom, Marceline had moved. She was still asleep, but instead of being curled up she was sprawled out across one side of the large bed. She looked much more at ease.

Bethany smiled. She would stay until she woke up, just in case she still needed her when she woke up. She seemed fine, but it was better to make sure.

She flopped onto the sofa and picked up her book from the coffee table. The little light from her desk provided enough light to read, but it wasn't bright enough to wake up Marceline. She looked up every so often to check on the child, but she slept peacefully.

* * *

It was about an hour later when Marceline woke. Bethany heard her and looked up to see the small girl crawling out of bed with a sleppy and confused look on her face.

"Hey Marcy" Bethany said with a smile as she walked over to the girl. "Why don't you go get dressed and we van go down for breakfast?"

She nodded and yawned, showing pointed canines. Bethany switched off her lamp and followed her out. The kids' rooms were in the opposite wing, but it didn't take long to get there.

"I'll go see if Lauren is awake, okay?" Marceline headed of to her own room and Bethany knocked softly on the door closest to her. A moment later it was opened by Lauren, who was fully dressed. Her hair was half tied in little bunches. One half of her hair still hung loose.

"Hi Bethany" she smiled shyly. "I can't get my hair right, can you do it for me?"

Bethany nodded. "Sure." she knelt down in behind Lauren and took the hair tie from her. It was a pink one, while the other was yellow. Her hair was surprisingly thick and hadn't been brushed well, but after a minute or two the pigtails were ready. "There. How's that?"

"Great! Thanks!" Lauren beamed.

Marceline made her appearance a moment later, dressed but barefoot.

"Both ready?" the girls nodded. "Alright then." the three walked down the huge steps and into the kitchen. Michael and James were already there with an older girl, sitting at the table. Bethany could hear others talking through in the dining room.

"Hi" Michael waved, but James was too busy eating acknowledge them. The girl, whom Bethany didn't know, waved but said nothing.

Bethany went to get bowls while the girls sat down with the other three. She knew what cereals the two girls liked, and they both had the same thing almost every day. Just as she was sitting down with them with her own breakfast, Alex came through, holding the phone.

"Somoene called asking for you."

"Who?" Bethany questioned curiously.

"Someoene called Nadia."


	14. Nadia

**A/N: finally back to updating! Sorry for the hiatus, here's two chapters to make up for it. Updates might be irregular for a while (I say this as if they ever were regular!) but I should be back to updating once or twice a week as usual soon. Holidays are in less than a month so I should update more during that time!**

* * *

Bethany took the phone from Sean, smiling. "Hi Nadia."

"Don't 'hey Nadia' me! You haven't called in ages! Do you know how hard it was for me to find the mansion's number? _Near impossible_. I shouldn't have to track down my own sister just for a chat." the woman on the other end of the line sounded exasperated. She let out a dramatic sigh. Bethany could picture her shaking her head and rolling her eyes.

Bethany laughed lightly. "Right, sorry." she tried not to let the laugh come into her voice.

"So anyway, I called to ask how you were liking Xavier's?" now she was finished telling her younger sister off, Nadia had calmed considerably. "Last time we spoke you had just moved in."

"It's great. Everyone's really great and the place itself is amazing. If only I'd found out about it sooner." she smiled fondly. "I think it would be good for Harry; you've mentioned before that his mutations are hard to handle." she didn't want to put her sister under pressure, but she honestly felt that her nephew would benefit from going to Xavier' most, Harry had shown signs of a mutation when he was extremely young - a few months after he had learned to speak - and had progressively gotten harder to control over the years.

Sean, who had been pretending he hadn't been listening in on the conversation, caught interest in the mention of a kid with mutations. He pulled up a chair and sat down between Bethany and Lauren, looking at the woman with curiosity.

Nadia said nothing for a while. "I don't know." she said, finally. "I don't want to be away from him; he's only four. But I'll think about it. Knowing his Aunt Beth is there makes it slightly less awful."

There was the sound of a child's voice from Nadia's end, followed by heavy footsteps. Bethany's sister put a hand over the phone to dull the sound, shouting something back, before talking to Bethany. "Sorry, I have to go. I should be getting ready for work and my husband is _supposed _to be taking the dog for a walk with Harry."

"Bye, talk to you later." Bethany held back a laugh as Nadia's husband could be heard shouting at the dog in the background. "Have fun at work."

"Ha. I wish. See you soon, sis." Nadia hung up and Bethany put the phone on the table beside her.

"So there's another mutant in the family?" Sean asked curiously. He wasn't surprised. Families often had more than one mutant, so it wasn't uncommon.

"My nephew. He can absorb memories."

"So he's telepathic?"

Bethany shrugged. "Not exactly. It's more like when he sees the memories, he experiences them for himself rather than just being able to tell what they are." It was hard for her to explain; she supposed she would never really know what it was like unless it happened to her, so she couldn't really describe it.

Sean nodded. It seemed like a more unusual ability, and a tough mutation for a kid to go through. It was interesting though.

Bethany felt something soft brush against her arm and looked over to see Hank pulling up a chair. She hadn't even heard him come in.

"Hi." She smiled up at him.

"Hello" he said to Bethany and Sean. "Hey kids." He received waves from Michael and Lauren, and a grin from James.

He noticed the phone at Bethany's side and gestured to it. "Who called?"

"My sister." Bethany replied, before taking a drink of orange juice.

"Which one?" Hank remembered that Bethany had quite a large family.

Bethany smiled. "Nadia. She called to check up on me." She rolled her eyes. "She's worse than my mother!"

Hank chuckled. He remembered little about Nadia, or any of Bethany's family, but he did remember the eldest sister had been very protective of her siblings and liked to keep tabs on them. Apparently she hadn't changed.

There was a brief moment of silence before Charles' voice spoke from behind. Bethany turned around to see the young man in the doorway.

"Doesn't _anyone _make any noise around here?"

Charles laughed lightly and shook his head. "So, how is your sister?"

Bethany gave him a look. She had guessed he would probably know, but his knowledge about things she had never told him never ceased to surprise her. "She's good. I have something to ask, by the way."

Charles smiled and nodded; an invitation to ask.

"My sister's son - my nephew - has just started school, and his mutation is kind of hard to control. It's pretty difficult for him. I was wondering how you would feel about him coming here?" Bethany bit her lip. She hoped she wasn't being rude or taking advantage. "I mean Nadia hasn't agreed, but I was just wondering. You know, if she does."

Charles smiled kindly. "Of course, I'd love to have a new addition to the school. If Nadia does agree, your nephew is more than welcome."

Bethany nodded. "Thank you."

Michael and James stood up then, taking their dishes to the sink. Lauren followed a second later. Marceline was too small to reach the sink, so Bethany stood up to put it away for her.

"You guys go ahead; I'll be along in a minute." She said with a smile. The two girls nodded and Lauren ran off, Marceline trying to keep up on her tiny legs. Michael and James went outside to enjoy the sunshine, using the sliding doors that lead to the patio.

"I'll see you guys later. Alex messed up the car the other day and I told him I'd help with repairs." Sean stood up and gave the otehr adults a grin before using the same door as the boys to enter the garden. Bethany and Charles said goodbye as he left, Hank giving a small wave.

"Well, I might go see how the party decorations are going. Drake and Amanda are in charge, right?" Bethany asked. She received a nod from Hank.

"Yes, it was their idea after all. What do you think about it?" Hank still wasn't so sure himself.

The petite woman shrugged. "How bad can it be? Though social gatherings aren't really my thing."

"Mine either, but I do think it will be good for the kids." Charles had been unsure at first, but the more he thought about it the better it seemed.

"Yes, I'm sure everything will go smoothly. Amanda is an excellent planner; she thinks of everything." Though Hank believed this to be true, he couldn't help but worry a little. Mostly worrying about _himself. _He knew he could be quite intimidating and was unsure of how the parents might feel. Some parents who had no issues with mutants had been more than slightly wary of him in the past. Even a few fellow mutants (adults included) had been wary of him at first, purely due to his appearance. Hopefully everyone who attended would be comfortable with his presence.

Bethany could sense something was wrong, though didn't know what. She gave Hank a quick reassuring smile before pushing her chair back and standing up. "I'm off. I think Lauren and Marcy would like to see how it's going too." She informed Charles and Hank.

The three went their separate ways. Charles had paper work to take care of in his office, and Hank wanted to get started on work in the lab. Bethany headed to the kids' room to see Marceline and Lauren.

When she arrived Lauren was sitting cross legged on the floor in front of a pretty Victorian style dolls house, while Marceline sat a few feet away on the sofa, a picture book in her small hands. They both looked up when the woman entered.

"Hey you two." Bethany smiled as she approached. "I was thinking about going to see how the ball room is? Amanda and Drake should be starting to set up by now."

Lauren nodded enthusiastically, jumping to her feet. "Yeah! Can we help?"

Marcy gave a tiny smile and padded over to Bethany, a shy smile on her little green face.

Bethany laughed lightly, amused by Lauren's enthusiasm. Even Marcy seemed excited. Nodding, she took Marcy's hand. "Of course. Come on, let's go."


	15. Getting Ready

As they walked, Lauren continued to gush about how excited she was. It was infectious; Bethany found herself smiling as she watched the girl skip ahead. Maybe it was due to her empathy.

They arrived at the ball room and walked straight in since the wide doors were open. It was gigantic. The floor was glossy wooden planks of two shades: a light honey coloured oak and darker pine. The wallpaper was creamy coloured with gold designs and the west wall had tall, wide windows showing a beautiful view of roses of several colours. The ceiling was extremely high. The huge golden chandelier was set in the middle of the room, the ceiling surrounding it adorned with an intricate swirling pattern. There was a large stage at the opposite end to the door, with a few steps leading up to it.

Bethany just stood and stared for a long moment. She had never been inside the room before and it was rather impressive. Charles was one lucky man to grow up in that mansion.

Several people were dotted around the room, doing various things. Amanda was over by the stage fiddling with a guitar. Drake stood by one of the windows, frowning as he tried to clean a dirty smudge with a cleaning spray and a cloth. One of the teachers - English, Bethany believed - stood a few feet away, trying to conceal a laugh.

Bethany rolled her eyes, but was smiling. She made her way over to Amanda while Lauren dashed off to see one of her friends, who was nearby. Marceline kept close to the woman, but was looking around with interest.

Amanda looked from her place crouched on the floor. "Hey," she said cheerily. She got to her feet and smoother her skirt, ridding it of creases. "I'm tuning the guitar for Drake," she explained. "He's in charge of music. A couple of his friends - Josh and Lewis - are going to play guitar. Maybe sing."

Sounded like a good idea. While she had never heard them play, she knew they were supposed to be good.

"Nice idea Amanda. Everything going to plan I take it?"

The girl nodded. "Yeah, great. Aside from goofball over there," she gestured to Drake, who had given up cleaning and was talking to a dark haired guy and a blond woman.

Bethany laughed softly. "Well he is a bit of a slacker," she commented.

Amanda nodded. "Oh, would you mind helping out a bit? There's tables over there which need to be covered. Tablecloths are in a pile over there," the teen pointed to the edge of the stage where a bundle of white tablecloths lay.

"Well I need to keep an eye on Marcy." She felt bad for saying no, but Marcy was her priority. The girl was too young to be left on her own for a long time. "I wasn't intending on staying long."

"I'll keep an eye on her. I was just about to take a break anyway. I've been setting up this stage since breakfast - about an hour ago."

Bethany relaxed slightly. "Alright, if you're sure." She looked down at Marceline, who was watching a young teen setting up a microphone. "How do you feel about staying with Amanda for a bit?"

The small girl nodded slightly, looking up at Bethany. "Okay."

Bethany ruffled the girl's curls and gave her a quick one-armed hug. "I'll see you soon."

Marceline scuttled over to Amanda, who took her hand. Amanda gave Bethany a wave before she and Marceline headed to the door leading to the hallway.

Bethany knelt down to pick up the tablecloths before making her way over to the tables. They were three long wooden tables, lined up one behind the other in the centre of the room. There was a white tablecloth for each, as well as a pale blue one over the top.

Bethany saw a flash of dark blue from the corner of her eyes and glanced up. Hank was standing by the door with Sean. Evidently he had abandoned the car repairs. Alex probably had it covered anyway.

The woman gave them a smile before beginning to cover the tables. She threw the white sheet over the closest one, using her hands to smooth it down and adjust the corners. Then the shorter blue one went on top, draped so that the corners of the table weren't covered.

She moved to the next table. She felt her shoulder connect with someone else's and spun around. She lost her balance from the force of the impact and slipped on the smooth floor. Before she could register what had happened, she was on the floor.

She groaned and rubbed her elbow, which had taken the majority of the impact. Looking up, she saw the broad figure of Hank standing over her.

"Sorry," Hank winced. He held out his hand for Bethany to take. She did, and he pulled her to her feet with ease. "I didn't see you there." He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away, embarrassed.

"It's fine," Bethany shook her head and smiled. "I hadn't even realized there was anyone nearby either." It had kind of hurt, though she didn't mention that fact. If it had been anyone else she probably wouldn't have fallen, but Hank's broad build, height and muscle mass meant he was as immovable as a brick wall. He had knocked her over with ease. It was her fault too, though, for not watching where she was going.

"Need a hand?" Hank asked, changing the subject.

Bethany nodded. "Sure." She picked up the tablecloths, which she had dropped, and bundled them in her arms.

Hank took the top two, and proceeded to throw one over the second table. Bethany went to the last one, and put the tablecloth over that one, too.

Beside her, the blue mutant made an annoyed noise, half way between a groan and a growl - a surprisingly inhuman sound. Sometimes Bethany forgot his physical change wasn't the only one, and little things like that never ceased to surprise her. She looked over, a little jolt of shock running through her.

One of Hank's claws has got hooked on the delicate fabric and was stuck fast. He was having a hard time untangling his hand from the cloth.

Bethany laughed and stepped over beside him. "How did you even manage that?" she questioned.

He gave her a mock glare, before returning his attention to his claws.

Bethany sighed and reached over. She took his large hand in her own much smaller one, gently unhooking the fabric so it wouldn't tear.

Hank pulled a face. "I'm so clumsy," he muttered, clenching his fist. Despite it being over a year since his second mutation, he was still getting used to it. Being so much larger, and having claws, meant delicate tasks or anything involving easily damaged items was a lot harder than before.

Bethany smiled sympathetically, catching the deeper meaning to his words. "No you're not." She reassured. "Stop being so self-depreciating. Now come on, I think we're done now. And I desperately need some coffee."


	16. You're Beautiful

**A/N: changing chapter names. Just letting you know to avoid any confusion :) also updates will be more often that they were before (once every two days, or even every day.) I don't know how long it will continue for.**

* * *

Bethany stood in her small bathroom, staring at the mirror as she tried for the third time to get her hair right. For a simple fishtail braid, it was hard to do.

She narrowed her eyes in concentration as she carefully tied the end of her hair with an elastic band. Stepping back, she scrutinised herself in the mirror. Her hair was a little flyaway - small curls breaking free of the hairdo and falling to her shoulders, and no amount of concealer could hide that annoying patch of dry skin on her forehead. Still, she would do.

There was a knock at the door. "Bethany? You ready?" Amanda called from the hall.

Bethany smoothed down her dress, feeling nervous all of a sudden. Since arriving at Xavier's she hadn't really spoken to anyone outside the school, save for her family. Being surrounded by people she didn't know was daunting, especially since she had to make a good impression.

Taking a deep breath, she called back, "Yes, one second." With another quick glance in the mirror, she left the bathroom. Opening the door, she saw Amanda standing in the hall, checking her watch. She was in a simple knee length dress made of layers of think peach coloured material. Her usually straight blond hair was wavy, tossed over one shoulder. Bethany thought she looked lovely.

"About time!" Amanda grinned and rolled her eyes. "C'mon, almost veryone else is already down there. The only person we're waiting on is Sean."

Bethany nodded and smiled half heartedly."I guess we better go then."

Amanda looked at her oddly. "You okay?" she questioned. She could tell something was bothering her - she was bad at hiding it.

Bethany closed her bedroom door, before turning to face the blonde girl. "Fine. Just a little nervous."

"You don't need to be. Everything will be great." she reassured with a reassuring smile.

That's what Bethany told herself as they walked. There was no need for her to worry.

When they reached the ball room, the soft sound of a guitar came drifting through the hallway. It was a song Bethany didn't recognise, but it was beautiful.

She stepped into the room. She couldn't keep the grin from her face. The place was amazing. Now that it was lit - the huge chandelier was on, casting a glittering light on the shiny wooden floor - it looked ten times more gorgeous than the previous day. The sun shone through the huge windows, lighting up the stage, which was set with microphones and guitars. Two men were carrying food and drink over to the tables - no alcohol of course - while a few others added last minute details.

"Wow," she breathed.

* * *

Hank stood with Alex and Charles, chatting idly. The first guests should be arriving any time soon. Outwardly he was as calm as ever, but really he had been worrying all day. Charles seemed to sense something was wrong, because he kept looking at him with a concerned expression.

Sean nudged his shoulder, before gesturing to the door. "Look who finally arrived."

Hank looked over. Amanda and Bethany entered a second later, looking around appreciatively.

Immediately Hank was drawn to the dark haired woman. Her wild curls were coming free from their updo, framing her heart shaped face. She had a calm, almost dreamy smile as she looked around, white eyes sparking with interest. She absentmindedly tucked a curl behind her ear, delicate hands tangling in her hair a moment before coming to rest by her side.

Amanda spoke, and Bethany turned around to look at her. She broke into a broad smile, and he could see her laughing. His sensitive ears picked up the noise; it was a light, carefree sound he had heard many times before.

He didn't realize he had been staring until Sean gave him another nudge.

"Go on, say hi." Sean was grinning knowingly. "But stop staring at her. Way to make it obvious you're into her."

"I am not. Am I not allowed to think she looks lovely without being, as you put it, 'into her'?"

Sean snorted. "Yeah, but you do like her," he countered.

Charles chuckled. "Just go say hello. She's coming over as it is. Meet her half way."

Hank rolled his eyes, but gave them a wave goodbye before making his way over to Bethany. She had left Amanda - who had gone to speak to her friends - and was indeed walking in his direction. She was already halfway across the room before he met up with her.

* * *

"Yeah, it looks really nice. Looks like Michael did actually try after all."

Bethany laughed slightly. "Perhaps he isn't as useless as you thought," she commented.

"Oh look, there's Annie and Catherine. I'm going to go see them. Mind if I leave you?"

Bethany shook her head no. "Go on ahead, I'm going to talk to Charles and the others."

"Right. See you!" Amanda bounded off in the direction of the stage, leaving Bethany by herself. She spotted Charles, Hank and Sean over by one of the large windows. She began to walk over, surprised to notice Hank had broken away from the group and was walking towards her.

She met up with him in the middle of the room, stopping about two feet away. "Hey there," she said cheerily. Now that she had had a chance to calm down, she was much less anxious.

"Hello. You look wonderful." He gave her a slightly shy smile.

Bethany felt her cheeks heat up slightly. John had never said things like that. "Thanks. You look pretty handsome yourself." It was true. In his dark blue suit jacket in trousers and pristine white shirt he was very attractive. He had taken off his thick rimmed black glasses and she could see his bright blue eyes properly for once.

Hank looked away awkwardly. He didn't believe she meant it - could anyone honestly say he was 'handsome'? - but he appreciated the thought.

"How many people do you think will turn up?" Bethany asked, completely oblivious to Hank's embarrassment.

The large mutant cleared his throat, looking back up to meet her eyes. "I'm not sure," he replied. "But there are around sixty students. Take into account that parents and siblings will most likely be here, quite a few. Even if not all parents show - which I doubt they all will."

Bethany nodded in understanding.

There was a door leading to the garden which was open, giving a slight breeze. The first few guests were beginning to arrive, using that door to enter. There were several adults and a few children.

"Well, looks like it's time to start."


	17. Ashworth Family

As the hall began to fill up, many kids rushed to meet their parents, siblings and other family members. Lauren, Marceline and a few other kids stood off to the side, looking lost. Bethany realized they must have been the ones with no visitors.

"Is no one coming for Marceline or Lauren?" Bethany hadn't been at the school long enough to know much about each child. No one had told her, and she had never asked; figuring it was none of her business. Until now. She was concerned about the two girls and the other kids they were with.

Hank shook his head. "Lauren's parents were all too eager to let her go to Xavier's. They thought it might 'cure' her. When they found out that wasn't what we did, well, let's just say Lauren hasn't seen any of her family since. As for Maerceline, she was abandoned. Someone found her on the street and took her here."

Bethany's eyebrows knitted together in a deep frown. "So they have no one? Not even an aunt or a grandparent?"

Hank shook his head sadly.

The dark haired woman watched for a few moments. They small group of kids kept close together, looking nervous. A moment later they were approached by Drake. He said something and a few of the children broke into smiles. He picked up little Marcy and ruffled a boy's hair. It was good to know they were being looked after.

"Mommy, daddy!" One of the other kids, James, grinned broadly, almost yelling in his excitement. He had been standing by the stage, but now he was rushing over to a pretty young woman and an older man with salt and pepper hair. A dark haired teen stood beside him. She looked to be a few years older than James.

The two adults beamed, enveloping their son in a tight hug. A young girl - maybe two or three - poked her head around from behind the woman, a shy smile on her heart shaped face. She looked just like James; from the chocolate brown hair to the lithe build to the narrow mahogany coloured eyes.

Bethany smiled as she watched the exchange. It made her feel better to know that not all of the students came to Xavier's under bad circumstances.

Michael had also found his mother - a stout, curly haired woman in a bright yellow summer dress. Amanda's parents were there, too, standing by their daughter and her friends.

"I think I'll go say hello to James' family. Want to come with?" Bethany looked up a Hank, who was shaking his head.

"I'd rather not. Maybe later."

Bethany raised her eyebrows at him. "Aw, come on."

He shook his head again. "I'll let everyone get settled in first, give them a chance to see the children and whatnot. Besides, I don't want to scare them when they've only just got here."

She gave him a pained look. She knew this was tough for him. As of yet no one had so much as given him an odd look, but they both knew it wouldn't be long before someone did.

"Alright." She smiled. "See you in a bit."

Hank nodded, trying to look positive as he moved towards Alex, who was getting himself a drink.

Bethany watched the large mutant for a second or two before heading in the direction of James and his family.

"Hello," she greeted, coming to a stop just in front of the parents.

The woman smiled warmly. "Hello, and you are?" She held a hand out for Bethany to shake.

"Bethany Court." She shook her hand, before shaking the man's also. His large hand enveloped her smaller one, shaking briskly.

"Ah, James was just telling us about you. He mentioned that you have been here for less than a month?" The man had a deep, slightly croaky voice. Smoker, Bethany decided. "I'm Joe, by the way. Joe Ashworth. This is my wife, Isabella."

"I'm Marlee," the young teen informed her, looking at Bethany briefly before turning her attention to her younger sister, who was tugging on her hand, asking for attention. "That's Mia."

"Nice to meet you all." She knelt down to Mia's height, smiling kindly. "Hello."

The child gave a shy smile and a tiny wave, before partially hiding behind her sister's legs.

James laughed. "She's real shy, kinda like Marceline."

Marceline was very shy. She doubted anyone was as shy as the child - she had a reason to be - but it was cute that James was comparing his sister to the girl.

"Are you a mutant too?" The question from the teen surprised Bethany. After a brief pause, she nodded.

"I am, yeah."

"Tell them about your powers, they're awesome!" James gave her a pleading look.

Bethany faced the two adults. "Well, I don't want to bore your parents with that kind of thing." She laughed as James pouted. "Why don't you tell them?"

"Alright." James turned to his parents and sisters. "Bethany has this real cool power where she can make things float! And turn them invisible. But only living things." He explained, grinning the whole time. "She even turned me invisible one time! It was great."

His mother, Isabella, chuckled. "Well that does sound interesting." She ruffled her son's hair. "I bet it was fun." She then spoke to Bethany. "I'd love to stay and talk, but I think we should go and speak with professor Xavier." She gestured to the man, who was standing with a teacher Bethany didn't know well. "Thank you for coming to talk to us. I would love to chat again later."

The husband gave her a simple nod and a "thank you" before the five of them moved off. Mia turned around and gave the dark haired woman another small wave before running in a quick, wobbly toddle to catch up to her parents.

Bethany gave the room a quick survey. It was filled up considerably since the first few had arrived. More people than Bethany had expected had turned up. She thought that was definitely a positive thing. Even little Marcy had joined someone - Michael's family seemed to have greeted her with open arms and she had stuck with them since.

Sean sauntered over, seeming as cheery as usual. "Everything's going great, huh?" he asked.

Bethany nodded. "Looks like it. I have to say, I'm impressed," she responded. She brushed a loose curl from her face, frowning as it flopped back in her eyes again. Why wouldn't it just stay in the plait?

"You know, you look prettier with your hair down." Sean seemed to realize how his comment sounded. "Well, you're pretty anyway, but you know what I mean. It suits you better loose."

Bethany had never really thought about it. She always just shoved her hair up because it was more convenient. When she wore it down the crazy curls got in her eyes and could never be tamed. "Thanks, I guess." She smiled in an embarrassed way, brushing the hair out of her face again out of habit.

Bethany felt someone behind her before it registered who it was. Turning around, she saw Hank.

"Hey Bethany. I was, uh, wondering if you would like to dance?" He asked. At that moment, the song changed. It was a slow-ish song, heavy on the violins with soft vocals. "I mean I understand if you don't want to I-"

Bethany shook her head, smiling. "I'd love to."


	18. Dance

**A/N: just want to say thanks for all the recent faves/follows I've received recently. It's probably not a lot for most people but is for me! I hope Phantom continues to be so popular and I hope everyone who's read so far has enjoyed it.**

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As Hank and Bethany moved to the center of the room - where a few others were dancing; mostly parents and mother's teaching their kids to dance - Bethany saw Sean smirking at them. When he caught her eye, he gave her a wink before moving off.

Bethany didn't know what he meant by that, but then again Sean did a lot of things she didn't know what to make of, so she didn't think about it much.

Hank hesitantly took her hand, still looking unsure of himself. He was beginning to doubt himself. Was asking her to dance really a good idea? He thought she was probably only agreeing because she didn't want to embarrass him.

In reality Bethany was quite keen to dance with him. She wasn't the best dancer by any means, but she never turned down the opportunity to spend time with Hank. She gave him a warm, reassuring smile which somewhat calmed Hank's nerves.

At first it was a little awkward; Bethany couldn't quite get the hang of it and kept stepping on Hank's toes, and at one point the long sleeve of her cardigan caught on one of his claws. After a minute or so however, they fell into a sort of pattern, and soon enough both were dancing in sync.

They danced mostly in silence, though it was a peaceful silence. They didn't need words to enjoy each other's company. They had come a long way, considering only four days ago Hank had been totally avoiding her. She understood why now, but at the time it had been incredibly frustrating.

Bethany rested her head on his shoulder. She felt him tense for a moment before he relaxed a little, though he still held himself rigid.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." And all at once the awkwardness came rushing back. Bethany frowned. She was such an idiot.

"No, it's not that, I uh," Hank faltered, unsure of what to say. How was he supposed to explain that he just wasn't used to this kind of physical contact without sounding like a fool? Anyone else would just go along with it, but he had to go and make a mess of things. Again.

Bethany was certain he wasn't telling the truth, but pestering him about it would do no good. Instead, she gave his hand a light squeeze before moving her arms to link hands around the back of his neck. The fur was thicker there, and it tickled her palms.

Hank still seemed wary, but eventually he relaxed again. This was his first dance with, well, anyone, so this was completely new to him, but doing it with someone he knew made it easier. If it had been anyone else he probably wouldn't have even had the courage to ask.

Soon the song ended. Bethany was a little disappointed. She had thought the song would have been longer. The two moved apart, Bethany gently unhooking her hands while Hank let go of her waist. Bethany brushed that annoying strand of hair away from her eyes again, only to have more hair fall from the increasingly messy plait.

"You know, you look lovely with your hair down, but I never get to see it like that," Hank told her with a slight smile.

Bethany looked up at him, surprised. "That's exactly what Sean told me," she responded. "But really? It's always a mess."

The mutant shook his head. "That's not true," he said simply.

Bethany gave a small shrug. If two people had told her that in one day, then it was probably true. Still, she didn't believe it much.

Before either of them could say anything else, Drake approached. "Hey, we have some technical issues. You can help, right?" he asked Hank hopefully.

Hank's expertise was in science and medicines, not electrical problems, but he knew enough that he could probably fix whatever was going on. "Of course, I can try," he looked to Bethany.

"On you go," she gestured to the room in general. "There's loads of people here, I should probably make an attempt to talk to at least some."

Hank nodded gratefully. He didn't want to leave Bethany, especially since he was going to ask her to another dance, but he would have another opportunity later.

Bethany gave the room a quick survey. She noticed Michael and his mother along with Marcy. She made a snap decision to talk to them.

As she wandered over, Michael saw her. He gave her a wide grin and gestured for her to come over. "Hiya Bethany," he said cheerily.

"Hey there," Bethany stood beside him, standing across from his mother. "Hello, I'm Bethany. I look after the kids."

The portly woman nodded, beaming. "I'm Holly," she replied brightly.

"So how long has Michael been here?" Bethany asked curiously.

Holly thought about it for a moment. "About half a year. The institute had only been open a few months when he joined," he looked down at her son lovingly. "It has really helped him, I just wish I could visit more often, I live more than an hour away." She frowned slightly.

Bethany smiled sympathetically. "Seems a lot of people are in that position," she commented, almost to herself.

"It's worth it though."

"Hey," Michael interrupted. "This party thing is really cool. We should do it more often," he looked up at her pleadingly.

Bethany laughed. "You'll have to ask the Professor about that, I'm afraid. And Amanda and Drake, considering it was their idea."

"That's the tall guy and the girl in the cream dress, right?"

Bethany nodded yes.

Michael was about to say something else when he got sidetracked. He looked behind Bethany and grinned broadly. "Hank!"

Bethany turned around to see Hank making his way over to the little group. His eyes drifted to Michael's mother, gauging her reaction. She looked surprised, but not afraid. When the blue mutant came to a stop beside Bethany, she gave him the same motherly smile she had given the woman.

"As you can probably tell by Michael's shouting, this is Hank; the school's doctor," Bethany introduced.

Holly nodded, holding out her hand for Hank to shake. "Lovely to meet you, I'm Holly; Michael's mum."

Hank seemed surprised by her outstretched hand, but gently shook it anyway, before letting his arm drop back to his side awkwardly. The woman was completely oblivious to Hank's anxiousness, for which he was grateful.

A blond haired teen sidled his way over, carrying a glass of water. He stopped beside Holly. He looked at Hank, not even trying to hide his disdain. Bethany could tell straight away this was going to end badly.


	19. Consolation

Holly noticed her son was acting oddly. Her brow creased slightly in worry. "What's wrong, Dean?"

The boy snorted, crossing his arms across his chest. "Nothing. I just can't believe they let something like that work with kids. Isn't that kind of dangerous?" He smirked.

Beside her, Hank's body went rigid. He gave no other indication of distress other than that and the slight clenching of his jaw, but Bethany could tell right away the comment had cut him deep.

"Dean!" Holly shot her son a stern glare. "That was uncalled for. I think we should leave these two alone now."

"Yeah. Or just leave. This place is full of freaks anyway." He narrowed his eyes slightly. "I mean come on, mutations are weird enough, but a mutation like that? That's just disgusting."

Hank had had enough. A soft growl escaped his lips, barely contained, and he spun on his heels. He marched from the room with long, purposeful strides, earning a few looks his way.

He thought he had become immune to the comments, the snide remarks and repulsed looks. Of course he had been wrong. You never got used to that. You accepted it, learned that people's attitudes would never change, but you never stopped caring.

Bethany whipped around to try to catch Hank, but he was already out of reach.

"I'm so sorry I - I didn't think he would - for goodness sake Dean." Holly was clearly distressed by her son's behaviour. So was Michael, as he started after Hank helplessly, tears pricking his blue eyes.

Bethany bit her lip, turning to Holly, before returning her gaze to the door Hank had just left through. "Sorry, I have to go." She barely aknowledged Holly as she stumbled away. In her heels, she was going considerably slower than she would have liked.

She made it to the hall and looked around. She found Hank sitting at the bottom of the staircase, fists clenched and staring at the ground.

"Hank?" She took a tentative step closer. When she got no reaction, she sat down beside him, putting a small hand on his shoulder.

Finally, he glanced up. He looked so torn up and hurt, it made Bethany feel a million times worse about what had happened.

"I was an idiot," Hank muttered, so quietly she could barely hear.

The woman shifted closer, taking his hand in hers. "What for?"

"Thinking this would work. I thought perhaps I could do this without causing a disruption. But I will never be accepted, will I? Society just cannot handle someone with a mutation such as mine."

Bethany squeezed his hand, her expression what she hoped was reassuring. "I'm not going to lie; the world isn't ready to know about us just yet. It probably won't be for a long time. But he was just a teenager. You know what kids are like, they say things without thinking. He probably didn't even mean it." She wasn't convincing herself, never mind Hank too.

"It's easy for you to say. You look normal. Even other mutants are afraid of me. It's easy to accept those with no visible mutations, but with people like me it's completely different. You were afraid at first, were you not?"

Bethany frowned. Did he really need to bring her into this? She understood how hard it was for him, but he wasn't helping himself.

"Maybe I was a little shocked, curious even. But never scared." She sighed. "How could I be afraid of you?"

"I think the question most people would ask would be how could you not be."

Bethany moved to cover Hank's hand, so his was between both of hers. "Hank, seriously. You're great. You're kind, you always think of others first, you're ridiculously intelligent, and frankly you're one of the best people I've ever met." She looked him in the eyes, willing him to believe her. "People take everything at face value, which honestly is stupid. You should focus more on the people who do accept you rather than the ones who don't."

"Maybe you're right," Hank mumbled. He gave her a small smile, letting her know he was okay. "Thank you."

Bethany shook her head. "What's there to thank for? I was just being honest."

"You should get back; everyone will be wondering where you went."

"I'd rather not," the woman declined. "Besides, I doubt anyone will miss me." Truthfully she wanted to stay with Hank. Although he seemed less upset, she wasn't totally convinced he would be okay. So she decided to stay with him, just in case. "Though maybe I should change. I feel kind of silly in this dress." She gestured to the skirt puffing up around her waist and hips. "I think Amanda went a bit too far on the whole 'dressing up nice' part. It feels like highschool's leaving ball all over again."

Hank chuckled faintly. "I must admit I feel the same. I haven't worn a suit since before, you know."

"Well, if it's any consolation, I think you look good. You should wear one more often," she told him. And she meant it. Her shameless staring earlier on had been proof of that.

Bethany got to her feet. "After I get changed, I need coffee. Badly." Coffee relieved her stress. Well, caffeine did. "I'll see you in a bit." She gave him a quick smile before turning on her heels to make her way upstairs.

"I'll go make you that coffee, then," Hank informed her with a grin.

Bethany thanked him, then proceeded upstairs.

* * *

Hank and Bethany had been sitting at the kitchen table for around five minutes when Charles arrived. He had a look of worry on his face, and he immediately looked to Hank.

"I'm terribly sorry, I was going to try and talk to you earlier but I couldn't get away. It seems Bethany got there first, too." He gave her a brief smile of appreciation. "Are you alright, Hank?"

The man nodded. "I suppose I had been expecting it but I was still shocked. I'm fine now, though, thank you."

"I just wanted to make sure. When you left, you're thoughts were scrambled with emotion. You were hard to read." Charles frowned. He must have been affected to quite an extent to have a thought process such as he had experienced. Looking at his mind now however - not reading him, just looking at surface thoughts and emotions - he was much calmer. This reassured Charles.

"Well I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I'm sorry that happened to you, Hank. If it's any consolation, the boy's mother was furious. She seems like a nice woman, but I certainly wouldn't want to get on her bad side," he noted. "Anyway, I can't stop, there was a man who wanted to speak to be, so I should really return to him. Are you sure you'll be fine?"

Hank raised his hands. "Positive. You go, I don't want to keep you back. And don't worry, please."

Charles nodded. "I shall try," he responded. "I'll see you both later."

Bethany and Hank both gave Charles a little wave as he left. He smiled and waved back. And then he was gone, leaving the two other adults in companionable silence as they sipped their coffee and tried not to dwell on the events that had just occurred.


	20. Danger Room

**A/N: I know this is set in the sixties (the story being set in '67), and therefore before technology like computers etc. but if they can make something as amazing as Cerebro in that time, they can make a danger room too. Also sorry for not updating every day like I planned. I was going to update Sunday but I was busy, and I didn't know I was going to be until it actually happened.**

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Bethany stared at her wardrobe, frowning. What were you supposed to wear to a potentially dangerous, probably labourous training session which involved using your powers to try and do goodness knows what? She had no idea. Actually, she had no idea what this 'danger room' would even include. And as of yet the others didn't know she was coming along.

The only clothing she owned suitable for exercise were shorts and short sleeved t-shirts. She supposed they would have to do.  
She changed into a purple u-neck and trousers, and shoved on the only shoes she owned that weren't either heels or sandals. She then tied her black curls into a low ponytail, scraping back her fringe to keep it out of her eyes.

Flicking off her light, Bethany closed her bedroom door and headed down the hall. There was a small elevator on the first floor which lead to the basement, which contained the lab, medical bay, Danger Room and a few other training rooms. This would be the first time she had ever been in any part of the basement other than the medical room.

When the elevator opened, she was faced with a familiar, dimly lit hallway. The Danger Room was at the end of the hall, beside Cerebro, apparently. Gliding down the hall, Bethany came to a stop beside two large metal doors. One was clearly Cerebro - it was a rounded door with a large 'X' carved into it. The other was a single door with a simple door with no door knob. Beside it was a pad, which she knew to be used for hand prints. Would her print even be in the system?

Lightly pressing her hand to it, she waited a few moments before the door slid open. Smiling contentedly, she walked in.

It was a simple room made of metal. The floor had regular square plates, like slabs, arranged in a circular pattern. The walls were much the same, but with smaller segments positioned horizontally. At the far end of the room was a small door, along with glass plating, which allowed her to see in. It was some kind of control booth. Inside everyone else was already there. She had caught them just in time.

She jogged over, her shoes making dull, echoing noises against the floor as she did so. This seemed to alert the others to her presence, as they looked over when she got close. She noticed they were all wearing strange looking clothes; black trousers and a long sleeved yellow top with black straps across the chest. Alex's also had an odd looking circular plate on the front. It was all made of a thick material of some kind.

Each looked surprised, though Charles was smiling. "Hello, I was wondering when you would appear," he said kindly.

So he was expecting her. Bethany should have known. She suspected that even if he wasn't telepathic nothing would get by him. She nodded, smiling in return. "I decided to give this 'X-Men' thing a try. Sort of a last minute decision," she informed him.

"Really?" Alex spoke, sounding doubtful. "I mean, you're too nice. Is beating up villains really your thing?"

Bethany narrowed her eyes slightly, hands on her hips. "Maybe. Give me a chance Alex, we've not even started yet," she huffed.

Alex just smirked and shook his head. He still wasn't convinced. He guessed she would last maybe fifteen minutes of training, or less. She was too soft for that type of thing.

"So what are we doing today?" Sean asked, deftly changing the subject to avoid any awkwardness or a possible argument.

"Training in pairs." There was a groan from Alex and Sean. "Sean and Hank, you two are together. Bethany and Alex, so are you. I think you should go first." Charles smiled. This was going to be a challenge. Alex was difficult to be paired with, and it was Bethany's first time. He thought it would benefit them both, however. Alex because he had to learn he couldn't always choose who he had to fight with, and Bethany, to show her how hard this would be in real life.

Alex grimaced and folded his arms across his chest. "Great."

Bethany rolled her eyes. She wasn't too bothered herself, but she would have preferred to go with someone else. Hank, mainly.

"And the simulation will be something new; robots." That would make her levitation more difficult for Bethany as she wouldn't be able to use it on her enemies.

"This just gets better and better," Alex said sarcastically, though he did seem a little more intrigued than before. New settings were always something to take interest in.

Charles was about to usher the two back to the Danger Room before remembering of something. "Oh, and you will need to change. Trousers and running shoes don't quite cut it."

"Not those costumes, is it?" The woman eyed Sean's outfit disapprovingly.

Charles chuckled. "Yes, they are. It is just through that door." He gestured to a door just behind them. "They're changing rooms," he clarified.

Bethany nodded. "Okay, be right back," she said as she disappeared behind the door.

Inside was a small square room. There was a single row of cubicles on one side, and lockers on the adjoining wall. There was also a wooden bench. On that bench was a heap of black and yellow fabric. Picking it up, Bethany noted that it was very small, even for her. She pulled at it experimentally. Stretchy. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. It would be very tight, and she was surrounded by guys. She trusted that none of them would be rude or make a pass at her, but the thought still made her uncomfortable.

Sighing, she decided she had no choice.

She took of her shoes and set them on a stool inside one of the changing rooms. Then she stripped, putting the clothes in a neat pile beside them. Then came the outfit. It was a one piece, with a zip at the front from the top to just above the abdomen. It was difficult to get on, and Bethany struggled with it for several minutes, feeling quite silly. Eventually she managed to wrestle it on, zipping it up with only minor difficulty. Tight didn't even begin to describe it. Looking at herself in the mirror, she noticed that it fit her curved perfectly. Well, what little curves she had anyway. The boots were chunky, but not so much so that they felt heavy. Looking at them, they did make her feet look a bit bigger. And the bust. It was a high neck, but because it was skintight it made it very clear she had breasts. Great. This was going to be awkward.

Shaking her head, she tried not to think about it as she left the cubicle. Well, time to go.


	21. Fail

**A/N: I don't really like this chapter much, but I worked on it for ages and it got to the stage where I just wanted to get it posted. Sorry if it's not very good.**

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Bethany stepped back into the control room, arms crossed over her chest self-consciously. It was silly really, she couldn't cover herself while fighting, but she felt very uncomfortable in the tight fitting clothing.

The four men looked over when she came in. Alex's eyes stayed on her a little longer than the others. Scowling, she tugged the zip up as far as it would go. He simply smirked, not in the least bit fazed at being caught staring at her. Typical.

"Are you ready?" Charles asked.

Giving Alex a sidelong look, Bethany nodded.

"The aim is simple. There will be four waves of enemies - you must defeat them, therefore beating each wave. Don't worry, they won't cause real harm; the Danger Room is designed for training, not simulating real life situations." He reassured. "You two will have to work together. Trying to do this on your own will not work." He looked pointedly at Alex when he said this.

Ignoring Charles' jibe, Alex made his way out to the Danger Room. Bethany followed, looking behind her. Hank mouthed 'you'll be fine' while Sean gave her a wide grin.

"So what's even going to happen? It's just an empty metal room," Bethany caught up to the blond man, coming to stand beside him.

"You'll see," was her only reply. Raising an eyebrow, Bethany turned expectantly to the control room. The door was now closed, and Hank was pressing buttons while Charles spoke to him.

The room dimmed, and for a moment everything was black. Bethany looked around, but she could see nothing. She could feel Alex next to her, but even he was obscured in the darkness.

Then everything came into focus. Slowly, shapes and colours emerged. At first everything was blurry and distorted, but eventually everything became clear. They were in a street. Small bungalows lined an old, potholed road with small, sparse gardens covered in brown patches. Many of the houses were broken and collapsed - so much so the one nearest the two adults barely even resembled a building.

It looked so real. If Bethany hadn't known any better she would have said, without a doubt, that she really was in a small residential street.

"How is this possible?" Bethany breathed. She turned in a circle, taking in the everything she could. The detail put into it was amazing. There was even a few bird houses nailed to trees and the insides of the houses all had furniture.

"How should I know? Hank and Charles designed it. I don't know how they do a lot of stuff." Alex shrugged. "Keep an eye out. The enemies should be arriving any second."

As if on cue, a few figures came into view. At first there was only two, then three, and soon there were almost a dozen humanoid shapes were striding purposefully towards them. They were a dark greyish silver, with glowing yellow eyes set deep in their sockets. That was the only facial features - the rest of their face was smooth and blank. The bodies of the figures were the same, but a few had parts missing, exposing wires and parts of their mechanics.

Bethany stared, unable to do anything else. They were tall, ferocious and terrifying. And Charles just expected her to jump right in and attack them?

"Come on, standing around isn't going to help," Alex took off towards the hoard, not bothering to look back to see if Bethany was okay. So much for teamwork.

After a moment's hesitation, Bethany followed. When she got close enough, she ducked behind an overturned car and crouched there, watching to see what Alex did.

Nothing would happen to her. She was safe, and this wasn't real. Charles had told her so, and she trusted him. But that didn't make it any less frightening. She was, after all, still going to have to fight those things. Shaking slightly, Bethany peeked over the top of the car.

And bashed foreheads with a metallic face.

Yelping, Bethany tumbled backwards. She landed on her back and rolled to her side. A heavy silver foot came stomping down right beside her. Gasping, Bethany pulled herself onto her knees. Frozen in shock, she stared helplessly at the creature.

"Come on! Don't just sit there," Alex called over from his position a few feet away, tackling two of the robots while a third closed in on him.

Bethany jumped to her feet, taking several hasty steps backwards. She wasn't a fighter. She had only ever got into one fight in high school and had failed miserably. She hated arguing and would never dream of physically hurting someone. How was she supposed to hold her own if she couldn't even throw a punch properly? Her powers weren't offensive, they were defensive. She couldn't even use them to fight.

The robot's arm came down on her, striking her in the side. She stumbled back, tripping over fallen debris. Tipping backwards, she landed on her backside, legs tangled in a mess of yellow and black.

Another robot joined the first, staring at her with hollow, empty eyes. Instinctively, Bethany fazed out, hiding herself from view. Her uniform disappeared along with her, much to her surprise.

The robots paused, looking around in confusion. Bethany took the chance to get out of their way, carefully stepping over broken glass, metal and tree branches to avoid detection.

She clenched and un-clenched her fists, breathing deeply. It calmed her somewhat, but her nerves were still on end. She felt lightheaded and sick. This was such a bad idea. Why had she ever decided this would be good for her?

Alex was still struggling with two silver robots. Three lay near him, motionless and broken.

Bethany fazed back into sight, leaning heavily against a tree, using it for support. Alex caught her looking over and glared. "Have you actually done anything?" he snapped, eyes narrowing as he shouted over.

The woman said nothing. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. He didn't understand. Didn't understand how hard this was for her, how strange it was, and how utterly terrified she felt. Just because he had no problems didn't mean she felt the same.

"Watch out!" Alex's yell caught her off guard. She spun around, only to be hit in the face. This time she did fall, landing splayed out on the ground. She tried to get up, but the robot leaned down, pinning her to the ground.

Just as it was about to give the finishing blow, everything went dark. A second later she was back in the danger room.

She sat up, rubbing her head. Alex stomped over, glaring. "What was that all about? You were supposed to be helping me. Not getting your ass kicked and standing there helplessly!" He groaned. "Thanks a lot."

"Don't be so harsh on her, Alex. She wasn't expecting it, and it's her first time." Hank walked over, sending the blond man a cold look. "Maybe sending you right in like that was a bad idea."

"Yes. I'm sorry Bethany, I thought getting you to start like that without knowing what to expect would be good. It appears I was wrong." Charles frowned, taking the woman's hand in his.

"No, it's my fault. I was... I don't know. Shocked, I suppose. Scared. It was really strange."

Charles nodded. "It does take a while to get used to. But you will, if you choose to carry on."

Bethany nodded. "I'm not going to give up, though I'll be honest; it was terrifying. Um, could I try again now?"

"Are you sure that's wise? Maybe we should try again another day?" Hank looked at her worriedly. He felt trying again so soon would do more harm than good.

Bethany shook her head. "No, I'd really like to do it now. If Alex is up for it?"

Alex sighed, but smirked slightly. "Let's do this."


	22. Second Try

Standing back in the danger room, side by side with Alex, the nerves were getting the better of her again. Her brief moment of courage had disappeared the second she set foot in the huge room.

Alex of course, was as relaxed as ever. Smirking, standing with his shoulders back and head high, he was practically radiating confidence. Lucky for some.

The room dimmed, but this time Bethany was expecting it. When everything came into view, it was exactly the same as last time. The woman turned her head in the direction the robots had come from the previous time, waiting. She hadn't expected them to come from behind her.

She heard them first. She whipped around just in time to see Alex moving in their direction. "They came from that way before!" she exclaimed, jabbing a thumb the other way.

"It doesn't happen exactly the same each time. If it did it would become too predictable, right?" Alex looked back, gesturing for her to follow him. "Come on!"

She hurried after him. Again, there was a dozen or so enemies. Two of them went straight for Alex. Another headed for Bethany. Immediately she turned transparent. She wondered how long she could keep it up for. She had never really tested her abilities for long periods of time before. Could she stay like this throughout the whole battle?

The robot stopped in its tracks, metal head turning to try and locate her. After a moment it turned away, marching off towards Alex, who was now struggling with three others.

Focusing on him, she tried to make him disappear too, but it wouldn't work. She would have to get closer. She ran, and her concentration fell, allowing her to become visible again.

She narrowly dodged a robot as it flung its arm out to catch her in the stomach. She did the first thing that came to mind; ramming her shoulder into its chest. Her shoulder connected with cold, hard metal. She winced in pain, letting out a small groan.

The robot tipped backwards, but other than that she did no damage. It moved closer, and Bethany could just see a manhole behind it. It was open.

An idea suddenly formed in her mind. If she could get it to stumble back just enough, maybe it would fall through. The woman kicked the robot in the stomach area as hard as she could, managing to send it backwards a few steps. The creature responded by attempting to hook an arm around her waist to throw her backwards.

Bethany ducked to the side. Her heart lurched in her chest as it missed her by barely an inch. Now running entirely on adrenaline, it took her only a few seconds to respond. It was now a few feet in front of her. Taking a small run up to it, she launched herself at it head on, her side connecting with its torso. It stumbled back, tripping over debris. Bethany fell to the ground from the impact. Looking up, she just had time to see the tall robot's foot step over the manhole, hovering in mid air, before it collapsed, falling through the hole.

Walking over, Bethany peered down. She couldn't see anything but blackness. Sighing in relief, she let her body relax, arms falling to her side.

Then she remembered Alex. Four robots lay around him, each unmoving. The rest had completely surrounded him. In such close combat with them, there was no way he could use his mutation unless he wanted to hurt himself too.

Bethany rushed towards him. From this distance, he looked like he wasn't doing well. When she got closer, it looked even worse. Stopping ten metres away, Bethany faced the mob. "Hey, over here!" she yelled. Metal heads turned to face the source of the noise. She smiled in triumph as they moved away from Alex and towards her. The triumph soon turned to worry as she realized she now had to face seven strong, dangerous robots. Maybe catching their attention was a bad idea.

Alex also turned to face her, both confused and annoyed. He could have taken care of them on his own.

Bethany stared at the group of rapidly approaching enemies. They had formed a tight group, marching almost in sync. They were now entirely focused on Bethany and had forgotten about the blond man behind them.

"Alex!" she called over. "Think you could hit them all at once?"

Alex frowned. "Yeah, maybe. Why?"

Bethany stepped back hurriedly as they came closer, tripping over rubble. Blood was pounding in her ears and she was breathing heavily. "I've got their attention. If I can distract them long enough, you can get them with your energy," she told him.

The girl was crazy. That was Alex's conclusion. "But I'll hit you too!" He felt as if he was stating the obvious. Why would she risk that? The Danger Room wouldn't let her die, but it could certainly let her get injured.

"Levitation, remember? I can get out of the way."

The robots were now almost close enough to touch. She turned and ran away from them, glancing briefly behind her. Alex stood motionless, trying to process the information. She skidded to a stop and spun back around, trying not to show how terrified she was. "Alright Alex, now!" she yelled.

Alex only hesitated for a second before he did it. The energy, contained by his suit, was focused on the group of robots ahead. A single strong beam of bright yellowish red light hit them with enough force to tear them apart, but instead they disintegrated.

Bethany had just enough warning to move out of the way before the beam hit. Squeezing her eyes shut, she felt her feet leave the ground as she rose up. She could hear and feel Alex's power as it tore through the robots below her. Opening her eyes, she looked down to see the surroundings faze out to be replaced by the regular Danger Room.

She let herself land gently back on the metal floor. She let out a choked gasp, half way between relief and disbelief. She heard footsteps, and saw Alex running towards her.

"That was awesome!" the blond declared, grinning. "Not bad for a newbie."

Rolling her eyes, Bethany just laughed lightly. "Thanks, I think."

She was shaking, but was calming down now everything was over. That had to have been the scariest thing to ever happen to her. She was proud of herself though, for actually coming up with a plan and not being completely useless.

"Well done you two. That was an unusual way of doing things, but it worked, evidently." While Alex and Bethany had been talking, Charles, Sean and Hank had come over.

Bethany turned around so she could see them. "Yeah. I guess we're just good at improvisation."

"It was extremely risky though, what you did. If you tried in real life, you probably wouldn't have been so lucky." Hank told her seriously.

Bethany knew that, but as far as she was concerned they had won. That was good enough for her.

"Well I think it was pretty good," Sean said with a smile. "You weren't so bad either, Summers."

Alex chuckled. "We don't make such a terrible team after all. Come on, isn't it you and Hank next?"

Sean groaned. He really didn't want to. He wasn't in the mood at all. "Yeah I guess. You two going to stay and watch?"

Alex shrugged. "Why not. It's always fun to see you get your ass kicked." He smirked as he walked back towards the control room.

"I'm going to head back to my room. I think I've had enough action for one day." Bethany gave Sean and Hank a tired smile and a wave. "I'll see you three later." She then bent down to give Charles a hug. "Though next time, maybe cut me some slack? After all I am only a 'newbie'."

As she walked away, she could hear Sean and Alex arguing about who was going to do better. Well at least some of them took this training so lightly. Maybe she would too, once she got more used to it.

If this was only training, what was the real thing like?


	23. Swim

**A/N: not updated in over a week, oops. Had a bit of writer's block but I think I'm (mostly) over it now.**

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Ten minutes later Bethany had changed into her day clothes, and was sitting at the kitchen table with a bowl of fruit and a large mug of coffee. That training session had really taken a lot out of her; she couldn't understand how the others managed it. Not only was she still tired, but her joints ached and she was starving, despite having had breakfast before going.

She finished off her fruit and downed the last of her coffee. She had the feeling she was going to be drinking a lot more of that if she wanted to survive her new training rejime.

The young woman had been debating on whether or not to have a quick swim in the outdoor pool since she had entered her bedroom and seen her new swimsuit in the drawer. It was a lovely day; the kind of heat that wasn't humid or stifling, but just enough to give you a nice glossy tan if you stayed out too long. And maybe the water would help her joints - her mother had always said a quick dip in the pool helped ease her knee pain.

She decided it couldn't hurt to try a few laps. If anything, at least she would get some time outside, in peace. Peace was a rare thing nowadays, with so many children. Speaking of kids, Lauren and Marcy were in class, but it would be time for their break soon. No doubt Marcy would go straight to either herself or Sean.

In other words, she should try to use her time alone wisely, because there wasn't much of it.

Heading outside, the woman shielded her eyes from the sunlight. It would have been a good idea to bring sunglasses. Too bad it's not possible to wear them when swimming. Unless she wanted them covered in water and possibly sinking to the bottom of the pool. Not ideal.

The pool was relatively large. It was square shaped, shallower at one end with wide steps in one corner. There were ten or so deck chairs spaced out irregularly, and a few tables, too. Bethany claimed the one nearest the poolside, which was shaded by a broad white parasol and had a cream and blue towel over it. She then stripped off her clothes, revealing her blue paisley one-piece. Her clothes were then placed in a neat pile on the deck chair, with her shoes tucked underneath the table.

She stretched as she walked to the pool, arms over her head and back arched slightly. She had never understood why people stretched after extensive exercise, but now she realized it was actually pretty good. It helped release the tension in her muscles.

Her toes found the edge of the pool and curled over. She cautiously dipped one toe in. It wasn't too cold. Cool was good, she hated going straight into freezing water.

She raised her arms again, rolling on the balls of her heels a few times before diving in. Her knees bent, then straightened, and her feet left the ground. It felt a lot like when she levitated, albeit more forceful. She entered the water with a small splash, water just spraying the ground near the pool.

She resurfaced a moment later, brushing soaked hair from her eyes with the back of a small hand. The cool water felt great against her skin - it was definitely calming. She decided that waiting until now to try the pool was a bad decision. She should have tried ages ago.

She did a few laps, slowly, so she didn't overdo it. Her mother was right - swimming did help her joints and muscles, which was surprising since she had always complained it made her legs hurt as a child.

After six laps, she stopped. It wasn't much, but it was enough. She shook her head to rid her dark hair of the worst of the water, then took hold of the ladder. She climbed out of the water, smiling as the heat of the sun touched her shoulders. She had just reached the top rung of the ladder when she noticed Hank.

She was in a swimsuit. A very revealing swimsuit. And Hank was there. Right there in front of her. And she was in a swimsuit.

"H-hi," she stammered, silently cursing herself for making it so obvious she was embarrassed. "Didn't see you there." She moved towards her deck chair, picking up the towel and wrapping it around herself. Thank God it was there.

"Evidently," Hank replied with a light chuckle. Bethany's embarrassment hadn't gone unnoticed. Neither had her swimsuit.

"So, uh." Bethany fidgeted with the bottom of the towel. It was short, and didn't cover as much as she would have liked. "What are you doing out here? I thought you were in the Danger Room with Sean?"

Hank nodded. "I was, but we finished about five minutes ago."

'Well, that was quick', Bethany thought. They had had a lot more practice than her, and that showed in how fast they managed to complete their session. She felt a pang of jealousy towards them, but quickly dismissed it.

"And how do you feel yours went? I thought you did very well," Hank smiled at her. He genuinely did think she had done great. Doing anything with Sean was difficult, especially if it was your first time actually having to do teamwork with him.

Bethany shrugged. She felt it had gone okay. She had felt good about it at the time, but now the feeling had been replaced with a sense that she could have done better. "Alright, I guess. Though it was pretty frightening."

Hank knew how she felt. "It always is the first time. You do get used to it, however it does take a while." It had taken him a few weeks, and Sean even longer. "So," he said, somewhat changing the subject. "Have you thought about your mutant name at all? We all have one. Sean is Banshee, for obvious reasons. Alex is Havoc, and as you know I'm Beast." He said the name with distaste. He didn't like it at all. Ironic how it was so fitting.

Bethany frowned a bit, noticing the change of tone at his last sentence. She chose not to comment however. She knew Hank was self-conscious, and she knew how he viewed himself. Mentioning it would only make it worse. "I don't know. Remember that old nickname Marie had for me when we were kids? Phantom?" She smiled as she remembered the time her sister had decided on the nickname. It was silly, but had kind of stuck. Her powers were kind of ghost-like, and her eyes only emphesized that fact.

Hank remembered it. At the time she hadn't liked it much. She had said it made her sound creepy and weird, but after a while it sort of grew on her.

"Phantom it is then."


	24. John

**A/N: I should really stop updating so late. It's after eleven in my timezone. It's not ****_that _****late, but it is pretty late to be writing, especially when I have to be up early tomorrow. Anyway, another chapter for you guys! I hope it's okay - I'm not totally satisfied but I just couldn't make it work any better.**

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Phantom. It was a nickname Bethany had never given much thought. She hadn't used it in years - not since her sister grew up and decided nicknames were too childish. However it suited her well, she had always thought that. And now it actually had a proper function, a meaning. Bethany liked that.

She realized she had been staring off into space while she thought. It must have looked ridiculous. She shook her head and turned to face Hank. "I should go get changed," she said with a smile. "Be right back. Wait for me?"

Hank nodded. "Of course."

Bethany gathered up her pile of clothes, remembering to pick up the shoes before she left. There was a small changing room - an extension of the mansion that was only accessible from outside. There were eight separate cubicles for changing, and showers. They weren't separated for male and female, but each was closed off and tall enough that no one could peek.

Laying her clothes down on the bench in the cubicle, Bethany quickly dried off before changing. Her hair was still wet enough to create a damp patch at the back of her neck, but she would have to put up with it. She had nothing to tie it back with. She then slipped on her shoes and unlocked the door.

The wet towel was tossed in the laundry bin. There was one other towel already there, but she didn't know who it belonged to.

After that was done, Bethany headed back to the pool. Hank was still there, waiting for her. She smiled and waved when she saw him.

She finally came to a stop beside the large mutant, looking up at him brightly. "I should go find Marcy. She's probably wondering where I am." A quick glance at her watch confirmed it was now the kids' interval. They would be going back to class in ten minutes.

The two walked in a comfortable silence for a minute or so before Hank spoke. "About the other day..." he left the sentence hanging, unsure of how to continue.

Bethany looked at him questioningly, white eyes searching his face to try and determine his emotions. Hank kept himself in check well - she had no idea what he was thinking.

"When?"

"The party."

"Oh." Bethany resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her remark. Surely she could have thought of something more intelligent to say? Apparently not. "What do you mean?"

Shaking his head, the blue mutant avoided her gaze. "I shouldn't have subjected you to that - I'm sure you didn't need to know about my insecurities and I shouldn't have to rely on other people to make me feel better about myself," he stated. His voice held shame and a little bitterness.

The small woman put a hand on his shoulder and ceased her walking. Hank stopped too, surprised by the sudden lack of movement.

"Don't say that." She gave him a soft look, but her eyes narrowed slightly after a moment. "That's what people do. They moan, complain and tell each other their problems. And there's nothing wrong with that," she said seriously. "And that's how you get help. Or get reassurance, or whatever it is you want. What I'm trying to say is, don't ever think you're burdening someone by seeking assurance." Perhaps she could have got the message across clearer, but she tried. Hank was just so unwilling to talk about his emotions and problems that it made it hard for her to know what to say.

Hank chewed his lower lip nervously, something that would probably bring blood if not for the unusually tough skin. "Right." He was still unconvinced. He was positive the young woman was only saying that because she was too kind to say what she really felt. Or worse, because she pitied him. It wasn't that he thought Bethany had anything against him, he just found it incredibly hard to believe that someone would actually care that deeply for him. After all, he wasn't worth it. Not any more.

Bethany sighed, removing her hand from his shoulder. "I mean it you know," she said simply, giving him that same soft yet somehow stern look she often gave to the kids when they weren't listening to her. "Any time you want to talk; I'll gladly listen."

Hank took in her words. It meant a lot to him, which just made it even more diffiult to truly believe. He ignored that little nagging voice, insisting she wasn't being truthful and that it was all a lie, and instead he was just thankful that she had been so kind to him. Even now, all these years later, and after all the changes they had both gone through, she was still the wonderful, considerate person she had been when they first met.

Bethany took his hand, tugging gently in an attempt to get him moving again. Hank initially froze at the contact, but when Bethany inisted he relaxed, allowing her to guide him back to the mansion. He said nothing more, letting the subject drop, and Bethany did the same.

A few minutes later they found Marcy in one of the smaller living rooms, sitting on Alex's knee while he read to her. She seemed to be enjoying herself immensely.

At the sound of people arriving, Alex looked up. His expression change from surprised, to defensive, then carefully blank and controlled. "Hi," he said a little awkwardly. "I was just amusing Marcy. She was bored, you see. I'll see you later." He gently picked Marcy up and set her on the sofa beside him, before promptly taking his leave.

Bethany laughed lightly. "Looks like Alex isn't such a touch guy after all," she noted with a broad , she had always suspected the man had a softer side. Clearly he was embarrassed to show it.

"I like Alex. He does the voices when he reads," the little green girl piped up, causing both adults to laugh. The image of Alex reading in silly voices was just too hard to picture. They should tell Sean. No doubt he would tease Alex endlessly.

"Can we have a picnic?" Marceline asked, giving the two adults a hopeful look.

Bethany frowned. It was only their break. Then it struck her. It was a Friday! Classes ended early then. "Sure. But we'll have to make everything from scratch - we don't have anything pre-prepared."

The child nodded simply, clambering off the sofa to walk over to Bethany.

There was a faint ringing sound for a few moments, before it suddenly ceased. The phone. A moment later someone came through, handing the phone to Bethany over her shoulder. Turning around, she saw Drake. "For you," he said. "Don't know who it is. Some guy called John?"


	25. Crush?

**A/N: this took a while to get out, sorry folks. Also a slightly shorter chapter, but the next one should be longer. **

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"John? What - I - how did you find this number?" Bethany stuttered, almost at a loss for words. Her hands shook as she pressed the phone to her ear and her chest felt tight. She was trying not to show her fear, to avoid worrying the others, but it was hard to keep her voice even.

"I have my ways," the man on the other side of the line snickered. "I knew you would end up in that freak circus. Where else would you go?" He sounded smug and mocking.

Bethany frowned, eyes narrowing and eyebrows pinching together. "What do you want, John?"

The man chuckled. "You were so suspicious, weren't you babe?" There was a pause before he spoke again. "Just warning you to sleep with one eye open; you aren't as safe as you think." There was a 'click' from the phone, and then silence.

The phone was lowered from her ear, and she sat motionless for a moment. Did he really just threaten her? She told herself he was just trying to scare her, and there was nothing in it. She wasn't sure whether she believed it or not.

"Is everything okay?" the dark skinned teen gave her a worried look.

The woman nodded, giving a slightly forced smile. "Yeah, it was just an unexpected call." She rubbed her shoulder with the corresponding hand and pushed the phone away slightly.

Hank could almost sense her nervousness. Something was wrong, but he didn't know what. He also didn't know who this 'John' was, but he obviously wasn't good.

Marceline gave her carer a concerned look; narrow eyes narrowing further and full lips pouting. "Do you not like that man?" she questioned in her quiet voice.

Bethany shook her head. "It's not that, sweetie. Nothing's wrong. Now, why don't you go find Lauren and ask if she want's to join?"

The little girl nodded and scrambled out of her seat, seemingly not worried about Bethany any longer. She disappeared into the hall, going in search of her friend.

"I should probably start preparing the food," Bethany said, trying to move the focus away from herself. She tried to put all thoughts of the phone call out of her mind, refusing to think about it. It may have been a childish thing to do, ignoring the problem, but right now it was too much for her to really comprehend.

Drake took his leave then, saying he had homework he wanted to get out of the way.

"Do you want a hand?" While Bethany had been searching the fridge for salad ingredients, Hank had walked over to stand beside her.

"If you don't mind." The woman smiled gratefully and nodded. "Thanks." She finally found what she was looking for and put the items on the kitchen counter. "You going to join us?" the woman asked, raising her brows and looking up at the much taller mutant.

"Of course," Hank replied with a nod. "I would hardly pass up the chance to spend time with my two favourite people."

"And they are...?" Bethany left her sentence hanging.

Hank chuckled. "You and Marceline," he answered.

Bethany made a quiet sound not unlike a quiet laugh. She began chopping the vegetables for the salad, and after a moment Hank did the same. They settled into a comfortable silence as they worked, neither speaking and neither feeling the need to. Bethany liked times like these. Being able to stay in silence with someone without it being awkward showed you felt truly comfortable around them.

After a few minutes her mind drifted back to earlier. She hadn't even been aware of doing so, until she was thinking about before. Before joining Xavier's. It really did seem like years ago, not a few months. How long had she been there, anyway? She had sort of forgotten. It just seemed so natural, being there. It was hard to imagine living anywere else.

Still, though. Had John meant what he said, about her not being safe? What exactly did he mean?

Beside her, Hank said something, but she had been to wrapped up in her thoughts to hear. "Sorry?" she asked, turning to look at him.

Sensing Bethany had been somewhere else, Hank shook his head. "Nothing important, really. I just asked about Sean."

Bethany gave him a confused look. "What about him?" she asked. She was still chopping vegetables, but her attention was now focused on the man next to her, curious.

Hank shrugged. All of a sudden he looked very uncomfortable. He shifted from foot to foot, and didn't quite meet Bethany's eyes. "Um, I was just wondering if you, you know, had feelings for him," he muttered. A slight blush tinted his cheeks, only just visible beneath the thick, short fur.

Bethany shook her head, fighting back a small giggle. "What, as in if I fancy him?" Well, that was unexpected. "Why would you think that?" She paused, turning to look at Hank, hands on her hips.

The blue mutant shrugged in an almost apologetic way. "I believe he likes you. I just thought you might return the feelings."

As far as Bethany was aware, Sean had never once indicated he liked her in that way. They were friends, yes, but nothing more. Hank must have been mistaken. "I think you're wrong there. Sean definitely doesn't feel anything romantic towards me. Nor do I have romantic feelings for him."

"I didn't think so I just - never mind." Hank shook his head, giving Bethany a small smile. "Forget I mentioned it, please?"

The woman agreed, though why this was such a source of embarrassment for Hank she didn't know. Shouldn't she be the embarrassed one? She had just been mistaken for having a crush on one of her closest friends. No offense to Sean, but that was a little awkward.

At that moment, a small bundle of blonde came rushing into the room. Lauren grinned up at the two, Marceline just behind her. Michael and James also appeared, the latter holding a large picnic basket. "We brought this. You might need it." James beamed, holding it out for her.

Bethany took it, smiling. She glanced over at Hank, noticing that although he was acting normal, the tiny blush still remained. She thought nothing of it.

"Alright you four, who wants to help make the food?"


	26. Picnic

**A/N: I'd just like to ask you to check my profile, as I have two polls up about Phantom. I'd just like to know what I do well and what I need to improve on. Also it would be super good if you could review the story telling me what you like about it, and what you don't. This is just so I can (hopefully) get an idea of why people read this and how to make my writing better. **

**Also I'd like to think this is going to be between 50-60 chapters total. I'm also thinking of making a sequel, which would either be a series of oneshots or a short story (only a couple chapters.) So tell me if you would like that, too!**

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The two oldest, Michael and James, were happily mixing the salad, and pouring the juice into flasks, respectively. Little Lauren had to stand on a stool to reach the counter top, but she was quite happy to put the fillings in the sandwiches, despite being too low down. Marceline was sitting at the table, swinging her legs and smiling shyly as she watched.

Hank had stayed, much to the childrens', and Bethany's, delight. He was still uncomfortable around kids in general, worried he would frighten them off or make them nervous, but it was clear even to him that those four enjoyed his company immensely.

Well, Bethany enjoyed his company most of all.

"Right, are we done?" Bethany asked, just as James handed her the flasks of juice.

The two boys nodded, while Lauren hopped off her stool and grabbed the picnic basket. She tried to lift it, but only succeeded in moving it two inches closer to the edge of the table.

Hank took it for her, lifting it easily with one large hand. He made it look as if it weighed nothing. To him, it probably didn't. He gave a deep chuckle and ruffled her long hair. "A valiant attempt," he told her with a smile, just small enough to avoid showing teeth.

Lauren pouted, disappointed that she was unable to carry it herself. Then James poked her arm, and she followed him outside. As soon as their feet touched the grass, they broke into a run. Michael followed, starting an argument about where they should eat.

Only Marceline stayed, keeping close to Bethany as always. She never strayed far from an adult, feeling much safer with someone by her side. She shyly took the woman's hand, gently tugging her in the direction of the glass doors.

The two girls and Hank went outside, quickly locating the other three kids near the water, under the shade of a tree. The sun hit them as soon as they were in the open, and warmth washed over them, humid and thick. To say it was warm was an understatement.

"I'm starting to regret wearing thick jeans. It was not this stifling earlier," Bethany commented with a groan. She should have worn shorts, or a skirt. At least her top was light.

"Not as much as I am regretting wearing all this," was Hank's reply. He was wearing a pair of black trousers and dark grey shirt, with long sleeves and a high collar. Add that on top of fur and it was twice as hot. The whole reason he covered up so much was to hide the fur - a vain attempt to look at least somewhat normal - but that didn't mean he liked it.

"Well then put something more cool on," Marceline stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Her voice was little over a whisper, but due to enhanced hearing the blue mutant heard it clearly.

"She has a point. Even I wouldn't have worn that."

Both Marceline and Bethany were oblivious to how ridiculous that sounded to Hank. Showing any more of himself than necessary wasn't even something he would consider. People could tell straight away what he was; there was nothing he could do about that. It was simply something he had to live with. But by covering up the fur, wearing the glasses he no longer needed, wearing the shoes which were frankly quite painful for his unusually shaped feet, well, it gave him some sense of normality. Something of his old life to hold on to. Though he didn't say a word of this out loud.

"I suppose," Hank lied. "Though I believe the sight of me shirtless would be one to remember." He gave a smile, trying to make it out to be no big deal.

Bethany narrowed her eyes at the self-depreciating joke. She didn't comment though. Hank's confidence and appearance issues weren't going to simply go away because she asked, and bringing it up would do more harm than good. She would talk to him about it, but not now.

They made it to the big old oak tree, and Hank set the picnic basket down on the grass. Bethany had the rug, which she spread out on the warm ground for everyone to sit on. Immediately Michael flopped down, spread-eagled and taking up half the room by himself. James nudged him with his foot until he moved over.

The children were eager to eat, and as soon as everyone was settled the food was brought out. Bethany wasn't too hungry herself, so she only had a little bit of potato salad and a brie and cheddar sandwich. Maybe she shouldn't have eaten earlier.

"Any plans for next week?" Hank asked the young woman.

Bethany shrugged. "I don't know, really. Charles wants me to work on my abilities, and I need to go get some new clothes - all I took with me was my summer stuff and even though I have most of my stuff back now I'm still lacking in the winter department," she replied. Shopping was never her thing, though. A necessity, nothing more. "What about you?"

"I have piles of paperwork in the lab," Hank gave a sheepish smile. "I've kind of been neglecting my work for a while."

Bethany looked over at him, brow creasing. "This doesn't have anything to do with me, does it? Whenever you're not in your lab you're either training, or with me." She didn't like to think that she was getting in the way of work.

He shook his head. "Of course not! Well, maybe, but through choice. I love spending time with you. I mean, you're a welcome distraction." He was getting flustered, trying to figure out how to tell her it wasn't a bad thing without sounding like a schoolboy with a crush. "Um, not that you are distracting me. I mean you are but..." Dammit McCoy, you're a smart man, so why can't you figure out what to say? He scolded himself, a light, embarrassed blush spreading across his cheeks.

Bethany laughed, her lips tilting up and her nose crinkling as she did so. "Okay, I understand," At least, she thought she did. She found it amusing when Hank got so flustered, but she felt guilty for it. It should not be that funny. Or that endearing.

"You do?" Hank asked, surprised. Maybe he hadn't made such a fool of himself. Though he definitely felt like he had.

Bethany just nodded, smiling. Beside her, James mentioned her name, and Hank's. While she hadn't heard the conversation he was having with Lauren, she was positive she had heard the word 'love' in there, too.

What could he have been talking about?


	27. Awkward

The children continued to talk in hushed whispers for a few minutes before Lauren stood up abruptly, little blonde pigtails bouncing. "Who wants to play tag?" she asked the little group.

Immediately Michael stood up too, grinning from ear to ear. He poked the younger girl in the side before running off, barely even giving her time to register that she was 'it'. After a brief moment she ran after him, though her short legs found it almost impossible to keep up.

"Are you going to join in?" Bethany looked down at Marceline, who was watching them. She shook her head, briefly glancing up at Bethany before continuing to watch the two play.

"Aaw come on Marcy. I'm gonna join. You should too." James grabbed a handful of grapes, managing to fit almost all of them in his mouth at once, before walking over to the little girl. He held his hand out for Marceline to take, but she declined.

Looking a little crestfallen, James pouted childishly. "Okay," he said simply, before walking towards the group playing tag, which was slowly increasing in number.

Bethany really did wish Marceline would take part sometimes, but the young girl just didn't like groups. She had only started to talk recently, despite being seven years of age. She could talk, she just chose not to. And other than Bethany and Lauren, she was almost never seen with other people. The girl had trust issues, that much was obvious.

She watched as Marceline's attention drifted from the other kids and her golden eyes focused on a large white butterfly fluttering about at her feet. The butterfly flew off, and Marceline decided to follow. She abandoned her half-eaten plate and walked after it slowly, trying not to frighten it off. She didn't stray far however, as the insect perched on a Hydrangea bush a few metres away.

"You worry about her," at the sound of Hank's voice, Bethany turned around.

"I suppose I do," she replied quietly. "I'm probably overreacting, but I can't help but feel I'm not doing enough for her, you know?" She bit her lip, looking back over at the girl again. She seemed perfectly happy on her own, much more so than when she was with people.

Hank moved closer to Bethany, hesitantly wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders. "A lot of the children are like that at first. You know about how Marcy came here; it was traumatic for her. But she'll improve. Just give her time." Hank was no psychiatrist, but he knew from experience that Marceline would slowly adjust. It might take years, or even decades, but eventually she would feel more comfortable.

The woman nodded, smiling slightly. Hank was right. "Yeah, I can't help worrying though." She flipped hair from her face, but a single thick curl fell back, bouncing off her nose.

A coarse, leathery hand brushed against her forehead, successfully tucking the rebellious curl behind her ear. Surprised, Bethany looked up, noticing Hank once again looked flustered.

"Sorry," he quickly apologised, removing his hand and placing both awkwardly on his lap. He had overstepped that boundary again. The boundary that honestly, didn't even exist. But he was always so unsure of himself that every time he was with Bethany, he was positive he would end up doing something wrong.

"There's nothing to be sorry about," Bethany reassured. It was such a small, insignificant thing to get embarrassed over. "I was actually thinking about getting is cut. It's not really practical," she deftly moved the conversation on, hoping it would decrease Hank's embarrassment. "What with training now and everything. It just gets in the way."

"I think you're long hair is lovely," Hank told her. "Not that I don't think you wouldn't suit short hair, but it's always been long." Even when they first met ten years ago, Bethany had always said she preferred long hair over short.

The woman shrugged. "I know. But hey, a change isn't always bad, right? It might even look better."

Hank smiled, showing just a little bit of sharp tooth. "You'll look perfect either way."

Bethany looked at him almost shyly. "That's sweet." She laughed lightly, almost disbelievingly. She rested her head on his shoulder, feeling him tense, then relax.

There was a wolf-whistle not far off, and Sean walked by, grinning. "You two are cute together, you know that?" He was teasing, but there was a hint of seriousness in his voice which no one detected. He genuinely thought they would make a good couple. It was clear they liked each other, even if they both refused to show it.

Bethany's cheeks coloured, her blush all the more obvious on her unusually pale skin. "Shut up Sean," she scolded, but there was no anger behind her words. Sean just got on her nerves sometimes was all, particularly at that moment. She sat up, removing her head from it's place on Hank's shoulder.

Beside her, Hank was avoiding eye contact with either of the two. He had taken the teasing joke more seriously than Bethany. In fact, he had taken it quite literally. Anyone realising his feelings for Bethany was quite honestly, one of the worst thoughts imaginable. Especially if she found out.

Sean just grinned even more and chuckled. "All right, my bad," he responded with a wave of his hand. "See you guys later." He walked off, but turned around to wink at Bethany, who gave him a mock glare. Honestly, he was so immature sometimes it drove her crazy. She already had two kids to look after, she didn't need a third.

"I'm going to go get the kids. They're going to get burnt if they stay outside this long." Bethany gave Hank a kind smile and pulled herself to her feet. Sean's words had gone right over her head. She hadn't taken him seriously at all, but something told her Hank had.

She could see Lauren, James and Michael playing with the older kids by the entrance to the mansion. Marceline was still in the same place, the butterfly long gone. She looked like she might fall asleep. Bethany looked over at Hank.

"You go on ahead, I'll pack up the food." It would give him a chance to get over his embarrassment.

"Sure," Bethany replied, then began making her way over to Marceline. "Come on Marcy, let's get you inside. There should be sun cream somewhere, and you need some."

The little girl nodded, taking Bethany's hand. They headed over to the others. Most of the kids were old enough to take care of themselves, but she didn't trust James, Michael or Lauren to be responsible enough to make sure not to get burnt in the sun.

Bethany glanced back to Hank, who ushered her on. He would catch up in a minute. Bethany mouthed 'okay' before taking the kids inside.

"I heard you and Sean talking," Marcy spoke in her quiet voice. "Are you and Hank a couple?"

Bethany sighed. "No sweetie, we're not."

Lauren gave her a knowing look. The empath couldn't tell the future, but she could read emotions.

"Not yet, you're not."


	28. Mom

**A/N: took me longer to get this out than I thought. Leaving all my homework until the last week of the holidays is never a good idea. I also just realized the few times I've had Beth use the phone, someone had brought her it. Cordless phones didn't exist in the sixties. So just ignore that mistake please.**

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Bethany sat on the plush green sofa in her favourite living room, curled up with her legs underneath her, head on the arm of the sofa. A thick book was held loosely in both hands, opened to a page almost half way through.

In the next room - the kitchen - the telephone began ringing, breaking the peaceful atmosphere the woman had been enjoying. After seven rings, it stopped. The woman turned the page and continued reading. A few minutes later, it rang again.

Deciding she would answer it, Bethany set down her book and walked briskly into the kitchen. She answered the phone on the sixth ring. "Hello?" she asked. "This is Bethany Court from Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters."

"Bethany! Hey baby, how are you?" A woman's cheerful voice sounded from the other end of the line, practically bursting with barely contained excitement. "I haven't spoken to you in so long."

"Hi mom." Bethany's pale lips spread into a broad smile. "I'm fine. Great, actually. How about you? Still coping with Maria and Marc?"

There was a sigh, followed by a light laugh. "Don't get me started. It's about time those two moved out. They both have jobs, they can make their own living." Another pause. "Anyway, I didn't come here to complain about my kids, I came to talk to you, didn't I? How's life at this 'Xavier's'?"

Bethany laughed. "Pretty different. Good, but different. Remember that time on holiday when we visited that big old house for that tour? It's like that, but bigger, if that's even possible. The people are great, too." She thought of one person in particular as she said that. She wondered if her mother would remember him. Of course she would; her mother never forgot a name, or a face.

"And what about John?"

The question was so unexpected Bethany was literally at a loss for words. It seemed that even the mention of his name left her speechless. Once it registered with her what her mother had said, the memories of the phone call she had received plagued her mind. She had managed not to think about it for days, but now it all came rushing back.

"What about him? I've not seen him since I came here, if that's what you mean. But you already know we ended things." Though she didn't know the less than pleasant details behind it. Nor would she ever. Well, hopefully. Josie Danielle Court had a habit of finding out information she had no business knowing, usually through mysterious, unknown means.

"Good. I always knew he was good for nothing." There was a satisfied edge to her voice that was hard to miss. "He was awful, if you ask me. But he was your boyfriend, not mine. I kept my nose out of your business."

Right, as if her mother ever 'kept her nose out of her business'. Bethany had to bite back the laughter that threatened to escape her lips.

"So, anyone else on the scene? Because you are twenty-four now. You should think about settling down," Josie almost scolded. If she had it her way, her oldest three daughters would be married and have had kinds by now, and the two youngest would be not far behind. Unfortunately, only one of them had.

Bethany pulled a face. "Uh, mother!" She exclaimed, dropping her head into her hand. "You can't be serious." She shook her head and rolled her eyes. When would she learn not to interfere with her love life? She had already done it with her sister, Hayley. Afterwards she had ended up separating from her boyfriend of four years. Her mother's interfering never did anyone any good.

"You sure? Sounds like you're being rather over defensive."

Her mother's knowing attitude was a little obnoxious, but she was right. Bethany had thought of Hank when the topic was brought up. She had quickly dismissed it, though, as it was really not appropriate to be fantasising about your best friend when on the phone to family. Or to fantasise about your best friend period.

At that moment, Sean burst into the room. He looked a little hurried and motioned for the woman to take the phone from her ear.

"Sorry mom, hold one one minute," Bethany spoke before moving the phone away. "Yeah?"

Sean didn't even ask her who she was talking to, which he usually would. "Charles needs to see us. It's important," he told her, the usual cheerful, teasing tone replaced by one of utter seriousness. "Looks like it's going to be your first ever mission."

Bethany nodded, feeling the familiar lurch of nerves in her stomach. She wasn't ready. She hadn't been training long, although it had been almost every day since her first Danger Room session. She wasn't even close to being as capable as the others, surely Charles knew that? Well, evidently not.

"Beth? You okay baby?" Her mother's voice brought her back to reality.

Bethany coughed and nodded, even though her mother couldn't see. "Yes, I think. I'm sorry mom but I have to go. Something, er, came up." It was a poor excuse, even she could see it. But she had the feeling her mom wouldn't be happy about the thought of her essentially fighting other mutants. Or whatever this mission was about.

"What sort of thing?" Josie questioned suspiciously. "There's something you aren't telling me."

Bethany sighed and bit her lip. Not now. She didn't have the time to think of an excuse, and the truth wouldn't do. "I am really sorry but it's urgent."

Sensing she would get nothing from her daughter, Josie decided it was better to let it go. "Alright sweetie. Promise you'll call me another day?"

"Of course. By mom." Bethany hung up before her mother could change her mind. If talking was an olympic sport, her mother would be world champion. She turned around to face Sean, who was looking rather impatient and doing a poor job of hiding it. It was unlike him. Whatever this mission was, it was evidently important.

"So what's happening?" Bethany asked. She bit her lip and twisted a curl around one slender finger, wide eyes staring at Sean uncertainly.

"I don't know, Charles said he would explain when we all got there." The redhead gestured for Bethany to walk ahead of him. "But he did mention a fellow mutant going on a rampage."

"What?" The first thing Bethany thought when he said 'rampage' was someone wrecking the city.

"Yeah. It's pretty bad. Come on, let's get to the others."


	29. First Mission

**A/N: it's been almost a month since I updated. I don't even have an excuse other than lack of motivation. Sorry guys! But here it is, I hope you all like it.**

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Charles' office was huge, but with everyone crowding around the large wooden desk it suddenly felt very small. Bethany stood between Hank and Sean, her smaller frame dwarfed even more by the two tall males. Charles sat on the other side of the desk, his hands clasped in neatly front of him.

Listening to him speak, it was impossible to believe a human being could do something so awful. It was worse than Bethany expected, and that was saying something.

"The mutant first drew attention to himself by his odd behaviour. From the information I have, he went into several shops, asking for someone, and was looking around as if to find someone or something. It is easy to assume he was looking for a particular person. He attacked a young woman soon after. Thankfully, she is also a mutant and has managed to fend him off so far, but a considerable amount of damage has been done due to the fight." Charles spoke slowly and calmly as always, despite the violent information he was giving. "However I wish for us to get there and take control of the situation before it gets worse. He is extremely volatile, so I recommend you are all as careful as possible."

"So what do we do? It doesn't seem like he'd be up for a polite chat and agree to stop," Alex said sourly, crossing his arms.

"I'd like him here, so we can talk to him."

Bethany blanched; her already pale skin going almost totally colourless. Take the mutant there? Wasn't that dangerous? Surely it wasn't safe for him to be around the children? Bethany thought of Lauren and tiny Marceline. Of James and Michael. It was putting them at risk. She trusted Charles to do what he thought was right, but that was just crazy!

"He's going to be here? At the mansion?" The woman's voice sounded harsher than she intended, and immediately felt guilty for seeming so judgemental of his decision.

Charles shook his head. She was right to be worried, but it was unnecessary. "I understand your concern, but I assure you, I have taken certain measures to ensure everyone will remain safe," the man replied with a kind smile. "We have a room where he will stay, near the Danger Room. It is perfectly secure."

Her worry eased somewhat, but only slightly. She hated the thought of someone dangerous being near the children.

"And how do we get him here?" Again, Alex didn't sound pleased. He just wanted an easy mission so he could get back to what he was doing. Unfortunately, missions were never as simple as anyone wanted.

Charles gave a small shrug. "It's hard to say what will work. Do whatever you need to."

"Great, that helps," Alex muttered, groaning.

Charles ignored Alex, used to his irritable behaviour and constant complaining. Instead, he smiled at the group and ushered them out of his office. He followed, and the five of them headed down the hall to the elevator leading to the basement level. They would take the helicopter into the city - it would be quickest and was the only vehicle able to take more than five people.

Bethany fell into step beside Hank. She looked up at him and smiled, though it was strained. Suddenly, she felt like she was going to pass out. She was worried, scared, and a little panicked. More than anything, she wished she didn't have to tag along for the mission. She wasn't ready. Everyone else had so much more experience than she did. She had no idea what to expect.

"Are you okay?" Hank asked, looking down at his friend. He noticed she looked paler than usual, and her expression had been one of fear since entering Charles' office.

She nodded, though it was hardly convincing. "I guess," after a moment, she shook her head. "Maybe not. I'm just not sure I'm cut out for this X-Men business. I mean I'm actually going to have to fight somebody." She had never fought anyone before, not even playground scuffles as a child. "And I've only had a few Danger Room sessions."

"Charles seems to think you're ready. Why else would he ask you to come? You'll be fine. And if it gets too much, we won't make you keep going." It felt odd for him to be the one reassuring her. It had always been Bethany who had been there for him when he was getting down about his mutation, or when something in the lab hadn't turned out. But this time it was the other way around. It felt good though, seeing the little smile his reassurance brought to her face.

"Thanks, Hank," Bethany gave him a tiny smile and took his hand in hers. It helped somehow, being close to someone. As if having him nearby somehow dispelled her fears and uneasiness. She couldn't feel the thick fur against her skin due to their uniforms, and she missed it a little. His hands were bare though, and she liked the feel of his claws tapping against the palm of her hand.

Hank gave her a reassuring smile and squeezed her hand gently. They walked the rest of the way in silence, and it wasn't until they reached the jet that anyone spoke.

"I hope this won't take long; I've got a class of youngsters and I don't trust a substitute to keep them under control," Sean attempted to lessen the tension. It was alright for him; he never got stressed about anything, or so it seemed.

Alex rolled his eyes, punching the redhead lightly on the shoulder. "We're going up against some weirdo attempted murderer and you're worried about that?"

Sean just shrugged. He got into the pilot's chair, Charles beside him. Bethany sat directly behind Sean, curling her legs up onto the seat, ignoring the thick fabric which slightly restricted her ability to do so.

She heard someone sit down beside her and glanced over. Surprisingly, it was Alex.

"Hey. Hank said you were stressing out," he said with a small smirk. "Well you don't need to. You're a lot better than you give yourself credit for. 'Sides, everyone was stressed before their first mission too. Even me. Hell, I nearly backed out I was so scared." His brow creased slightly. "But don't tell anyone I said that."

A small laugh escaped Bethany's lips. "Thanks, Alex," she replied sincerely. For Alex to come and reassure her like that, well, it probably took a lot of effort. He wasn't exactly one for mushy bonding moments.

The man put a hand on her shoulder, flicking a thick curl from her face. He said nothing, and nor did Bethany. In fact, the ten minute flight passed in almost complete silence, except for a few words passed between Charles and Sean.

All too soon the helicopter landed. Sean chose a secluded spot between two large, unused warehouses not far from the place they needed to get to. He landed it with expert skill, barely even bumping it as it touched the ground. Once everyone was ready, they climbed out.

Everyone had left except Bethany. She hadn't even moved since they landed. She had almost decided not to come along, but then Hank's voice called to her from outside. That changed her mind. She couldn't let the group down. Couldn't let Hank down. They had brought her along for a reason; her skills were needed, and they thought she was capable of taking the pressure.

With a deep breath, Bethany got to her feet. She was going with them.


End file.
